Truth, Justice, and Pizza
by Nagi Kokuyo
Summary: 100 themes challenge, this is a collection of peeks into the lives of the Young Justice characters. Family issues, teenage drama, and flashes of the future; there are moments that you can never forget, no matter how ordinary they seem. COMPLETE!
1. Introduction

**I'm taking a shot at the 100 themes challenge, so let's see how far I get before I give up. Wish me luck, my friends. They'll range from rated K to T, and depending on what people say, maybe even an M or two. And there will be slash, just warning y'all ahead of time. Not all of them, but one or two. Also, there won't just be the main cast; I'll be throwing some other characters into the mix, including some that aren't part of the show (yet). Anyway, on to the disclaimer:**

**As much as I wish it were different, I do not, nor will I _ever, _own any part of _Young Justice. _If I did, I wouldn't be babysitting snot-nosed brats for my spending money, would I?**

**Here's chappie 1.  
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**-Nagi Kokuyo**__

_**~YJ~**_

**001. Introduction**

**Rated: K+**__

_**~YJ~**_

The girl standing in front of them was nothing special. She was pretty, certainly—smooth skin, shiny red hair, about the same height as Artemis, and a good figure—but she was average looking, the person you would glance at on the street and forget about a minute later. Her T-shirt had hiked up, showing about an inch and a half of skin above her low-riding jeans—a yellow Batman symbol was printed on her chest. _Subtle, _thought Superboy.

She smirked, eyes hidden behind sunglasses, and held out a hand. "I'm Batgirl, your new teammate."

Superboy heard footsteps approaching—Wally—and then a whistle. "Hel-_lo _Batgirl!"

The ass-kicking that followed was much more interesting than her introduction.


	2. Love

**_~YJ~_**

**002. Love**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

All around him, his teammates were falling in love—Wally and Artemis, Connor and Megan. Robin had yet to show any interest in girls and for that, Kaldur was thankful. Being the only one on the team without a girlfriend would have been too depressing. As it was, while he was happy for his friends, it was painful to see them every day when he could never have the girl he wanted. They might be blissfully in love, but he was hopelessly in love with a girl he could never have.

Every time he thought about her, there was a sharp pain in his chest and his eyes would sting. Her and her auburn hair and sea-green eyes, her musical laugh and gentleness. For her, he would have given up everything. If Tula hadn't told him when she did that his affections were not returned, he would have stayed in Atlantis. If she had given him even the slightest sign that they could have been, he wouldn't have given it a second thought. He would have given up his title as Aqualad and fought Garth to the end to have Tula, if she hadn't extinguished his hope when she did. He would've left the team to Robin's yet incapable hands and destroyed his first and best friendship, all for her.

_It will not happen, _he tells himself. _I could never do that to Garth, and Tula…Tula does not feel the same. _Garth had been his best friend for as long as he could remember, and if he made Tula happy, then Kaldur couldn't object. He could only sit by helplessly and watch as everyone around them found love, thinking that he was just not meant to find love.

However, watching Batgirl pitch a baseball at a stack of milk bottles, red hair catching the last of the sun's rays and baby blue eyes glittering with excitement, he couldn't help but think that perhaps he was wrong. Maybe there _was _another chance at love for him. Later, when she grabbed his hand and pulled him off towards the Tilt-a-Whirl, he knew it was true.


	3. Urban

**_~YJ~_**

**003. Urban**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

When Superboy stayed with Kid Flash at his house in Central City, he had found it intriguing how open and friendly the people had been. Everywhere they went, people would wave or ask them, "How's it going?" When he visited Metropolis, the citizenry hadn't been as welcoming as Central City, but he hadn't been treated with direct hostility.

Here? In Gotham? This was exactly how the people acted. Everyone seemed to be suspicious of everyone else; he couldn't count many times someone shouldered past him rudely, snapped angrily, or glared at them accusingly.

No wonder Batman was such a no-nonsense, unhappy guy.

Connor couldn't even begin to fathom why Robin loved living in such a place. To him, it was like someone built a nightmare out of metal and stone. It was dark and foreboding, and the noise was deafening. It excluded an aura of darkness and death and had a deep-seated sense of urban decay, and it gave him the chills. When Robin had shown him around the city, it seemed that they couldn't go three feet without seeing graffiti. The only things the three cities had in common were the sound level and the crowds of people.

He decided right then and there that he would prefer rural areas over urban any day. At least it would be quieter…


	4. Truth or Dare

**_~YJ~_**

**004-Truth or Dare**

**Rating: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

"How did we end up in this situation again?"

"_You_ chose dare, _remember_?"

"How was I supposed to know this would happen?"

Roy shook his head and sighed, blue eyes meeting green. True, the younger couldn't have known that they would get such a dare; in all honestly, Roy _seriously_ doubted that the dare had originally been part of the stack of cards (his evidence—it was hand-written instead of printed like the rest). And yet here he was with a hundred pound redhead straddling his waist, face only inches away from his own. The dare had been unexpected, and there was no way out. No escape.

_You have to kiss the person sitting to your left, like you mean it, for fifteen seconds. There are three rules:_

_You have to be straddling the victim, legs on either side of their waist_

_You have to remain sitting in their lap for the next five rounds_

_And you must have someone time you to make sure it's fifteen seconds_

Poor Wally had flushed bright crimson when he read the dare, and had practically shoved the paper card into Roy's hands when the elder asked what the dare was; Roy had skimmed the print and almost dropped the slip of paper when reality hit. _He_ was sitting on Wally's left.

This brought them back to their current state of awkwardness.

Wally's cheeks were tinted pink (_the same color as M'gann's clothes,_ Roy noticed absent-mindedly) and his breathing was quick and shallow. Roy had managed to keep himself from blushing and hadn't lost his cool, but he was silently cursing the others for doing this to them. Wally was like a little brother to him; he didn't want to _kiss _him. Roy knew that if they went through with the dare, their friends would somehow find a way to use it as blackmail later on. If they _didn't _go through with it, then they would have to listen to the others taunts for the rest of their lives. A no-brainer.

"Do we have to do this?" Wally whispered. Roy smirked. "What, scared? C'mon, it's just a kiss."

The younger redhead nodded, and before he could hesitate, he closed the short distance between them and pressed his lips against Roy's; they were warm and slightly chapped, but Roy couldn't deny that it was nice. His common sense shut down, and his arms automatically went around the speedster's waist. Faintly, in the background, he could hear Robin counting, _"….twelve…thirteen…fourteen…fifteen…sixteen?...seventeen? ...Uh, guys?"_

He ignored him and just enjoyed the kiss. Oh, he was going to get them for this later, but for now…he was a little preoccupied.


	5. Rivalry

**_~YJ~_**

**005. Rivalry**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

The three thieves sprinted down the back alley, their backs to the police sirens and the flashing lights, their pockets filled to the brim with their prizes. By the time the cops figured out which way they'd run, they would be long gone. Up ahead was their getaway car. Just a few…more…fe—_Thwang!_

An arrow appeared from the shadows around them, flying past the thieves and burying itself in the back tire of their vehicle, letting the air out with a _hissss_. A woman's voice broke the silence. "You always have to be first, don't you?" A chuckle followed as two figures stepped into the light—one woman and one man, each wielding a bow. The man grinned. "You were taking too long," he chided. The thieves looked between the two, then at each other. A silent message passed among them, a message that didn't go unseen. The woman noticed, and she smirked. "I wouldn't try that if I were you."

Before either the thieves or her partner could respond, she shot forward. Whacking the first over the head with her bow, she buried her foot in the second's stomach and delivered an overhand punch, taking both out in a few short moves. With a single low swing of her foot, she swept his feet out from under him and knocked him to the ground. Green Arrow flicked her long golden braid over her shoulder and smiled smugly. Arsenal laughed and shook his head.

"Show off."


	6. Break Away

**_~YJ~_**

**006. Break Away**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

Batman—no, _Bruce_—met the younger man's eyes steadily. He had always known this would happen one day. He had known from the day he gave a nine-year-old boy his first domino mask that the same little boy would grow into a man, and that man wouldn't want to be his partner anymore. He had known that eventually, he would look down into those brilliant blue eyes and see a grown man instead of the eager young acrobat he had taken under his wing. Now, years later, at age eighteen, it seemed Dick was ready to spread his wings and fly the nest.

**"I'm sick of living in your shadow."**

Dick stood strong and proud in front of his mentor and father. He had known when he asked to be Robin that one day, he would want to strike out on his own journey. He couldn't live as Batman's sidekick forever; eventually, he would be ready to move on and take on the criminal world on his own. He had come to Wayne Manor that day with the Robin costume folded in a plastic bag; he wouldn't need it anymore. Robin would always be the counterpart of Batman, and that wasn't who he was anymore.

**"I'm tired of you treating me like I'd some kid."**

Bruce was the first to break the eye contact, looking from his protégé's face to the bundle in his hands. The "R" symbol stared up at him. He had known this was coming, but he hadn't known it would hurt this much. Dick was taking a stand and Bruce knew that this was the end for the Caped Crusaders. It wasn't just Dick who was growing up and breaking off from his mentor. Kaldur had taken the name Tempest, leaving his post as Aquaman's partner. After Barry's death, Wally took on the name of Flash; ditto with Artemis after Oliver got thrown into a jet engine.

**"I'm done with being Robin. It's time I grew up."**

He could understand the eighteen-year-old's need for independence, and he could respect his wanting to stand on his own. He could understand all that; it didn't mean he had to like it. No father wanted to accept that his kid was growing up, because then he would have to accept that he was no longer needed. Bruce had trained him in everything from escapology to criminology, fencing, stealth, and disguise. He had taught him dozens of martial arts and fighting styles, hunting and tracking techniques, how to fight and win with a wide array of weapons, and trained him in weapons and firearms. Dick Grayson was in peak human condition, and if he really wanted, he could probably take Batman in a fight and win.

**"I can never be my own person if I'm worried about needing your approval."**

There was nothing else he could teach Dick; the only thing left was to let him do what he wanted. If he tried to stop the former Boy Wonder, all he would accomplish was driving a wedge between them. He didn't want to lose his son, no matter how much it hurt to let him go. Dick was ready to stand on his own and Bruce had to cut off the training wheels and let him.

**"As Robin, I've been a sidekick. I'm too old for that now. It's time I take what you've taught me and apply it in my own ways."**

Bruce stood and watched his adopted son walk away. Ten years ago, he had looked through a window in the police station at a very sad-looking little boy and planned to watch him for a few days while the legal issues were sorted out. He hadn't even dreamed that he would come to love the acrobat as his son, to watch him grow up, and to trust him with his life.

**"Good-bye, Bruce. Call if you need me."**

He just had to accept that it was time for Robin to break away.


	7. Heaven

**_~YJ~_**

**007. Heaven**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

The noise in the air—laughing, screaming, chattering, the shouts and dings and cursing of people trying their luck at the games—melded together in a cacophony. The cloud of different scents mixing together was thick and heavy, making his eyes water. Bright lights of all types lit up the dark sky—neon signs, cell phones, iPod screens, strings of rainbow lights hanging like a thousand colored fireflies. All around was chaos—vivid colors, moving objects, the lines for tickets, pounding music from the different rides, little kiddies running around, colorful concession stands. Everything fit together as if it was meant to be that way, like in a dream.

It wasn't his first time at a fair, but that didn't stop him from feeling exhilarated and bouncy. Wally was acutely aware of the smaller hand clasped in his own, and the shoulder pressed against his arm. He turned to look down at his date; tousled black hair, radiant blue eyes, and clutching a stuffed red bulldog in his free arm.

There were many things that Wally felt made life great—the delight of an adventure, the recognition as Kid Flash, and the ability to run at ridiculous speeds, to name a few—but it was having someone special like Dick to share these things with that made life heaven.


	8. Innocence

**_~YJ~_**

**008. Innocence**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

She is **I**nexperienced.

She is **N**ervous.

She is **N**aïve.

She is **O**bliging.

She is **C**aring.

She is **E**ager.

She is **N**urturing.

She is **C**harming.

She is **E**cstatic.

She is all of these things, but she is not as **innocent** as they believe.


	9. Drive

**_~YJ~_**

**009. Drive**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

"AAAHHHHH!"

"WHOO-HOO!"

"USE THE BRAKES! For the love of God, Rob, USE THE BRAKES!"

"NEVER!"

Wally held on for dear life and glared at the maniac in the driver's seat. His heart was pounding, and despite surviving countless battles against the forces of evil, he feared he wouldn't survive this experience. He screamed again and squeezed his eyes shut as they turned a corner and his friend spun the wheel gleefully.

He never knew that a car could go up on two wheels for so long without tipping over. As he opened his mouth for another round of screaming, he made a mental note to never let Dick behind the wheel of a vehicle ever again. Despite the acrobat's other strengths and skills, his driving ability left much to be desired.


	10. Breathe Again

**_~YJ~_**

**010. Breathe Again**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

_Darkness. So dark. Can't move. Can't see. Can't hear. Just dark. Chest burns. Throat burns. Hurts. Where? When? What? Floating. Rocking. What's that? Hands out of the darkness, cupping face. Cool against skin. Soft. Warm lips against mine. Air. Salty, but air. Inflates my airway. Fire receding. Sound. Voice. Familiar voice. Words._

His friend was ghostly pale, his lips were turning blue, and he still wasn't breathing. _Now _he was panicking. _Forgive me, Robin. _Kaldur cupped the younger boy's face in his hands and covered his mouth with his own. He took in a deep breath, drawing the water out of Robin's lungs and into his, suddenly very thankful he was Atlantean. His body converted the water into oxygen, which he blew back into the smaller boy's body. Robin's chest rose and fell with the air. "Robin! Robin, wake up."

_"…bin! R'…bin, w…ke …'p."_

_Robin? Who's Robin? It's familiar…am I Robin? Who is that?_

_"…c'mon, breathe! Don't die on me, Robin. That's an order."_

His heart sank when he felt how _cold _the other boy was under his hands. "C'mon, breathe!" He continued to breathe for the Boy Wonder, fear setting in over the panic. "Don't die on me, Robin. That's an order."

_An order? Eyes open. My eyes. Silver eyes. Panic. Fear. Worry. Written on his face. Short hair. Blond. Kaldur._

Kaldur felt relief spread through him as Robin's eyes fluttered open and he breathed again.


	11. Dying

**_~YJ~_**

**011. Dying**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

Blood. There was so much blood. It had soaked through the front of his partner's uniform and made a crimson pool on the cracked pavement. His hands were pressed against the wound, but Wally's lifeblood was seeping through his fingers.

It had happened so fast, there was nothing they could do to help. The gross feeling in the pit of his stomach, the screech of tires; the final sickening _crunch _of metal against stone. The semi had come barreling through the front of the building, sending shards of glass and chunks of concrete flying; a scream cut through the sounds of battle.

There was nothing Robin could do; his best friend was dying in his arms and he was helpless to do anything than watch him bleed out on the pavement with a chunk of glass embedded in his abdomen. All around them the battle raged forward; bullets sliced through the air and their comrades continued to fight.

Red letters flashed on Wally's half of the screen: FAIL. YOU DIED.

"Oh, come _on!"_

"Just admit it, Walls. You suck at this game."


	12. Insanity

**_~YJ~_**

**012. Insanity**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

They couldn't help but stare, bemused, at the boy in front of him. The youngest of the group had _obviously _ingested _way _too much sugar; either that, or fighting crime in Gotham had finally driven the kid insane. Artemis, personally, was voting for the second option.

Robin was bouncing on the couch, singing some strange song in a foreign language (Kaldur thought it was Russian or something), all the while munching happily on a candy bar he'd stolen from Kid Flash. The speedster was trying to grab the younger teen in order to recover said candy bar—trying and failing. For a guy with super speed, he was just too slow to catch the acrobat; the hyper child just kept dodging Kid Flash's attempts.

"Stupid, rotten, spoiled brat! Give that back!" snapped Wally. "Calm down already!" He made a bad grab at Robin, who ducked, shot off the couch, and leapt onto an armchair; Wally banged his shin into the coffee table with a sickening _thud_. The redhead swore, jumping up and down on his uninjured leg.

"DAMMIT! SHITSHITSHIT! _SHIT!_" Robin was grinning wildly and giggling. Artemis decided it was most definitely the second option. The Boy Wonder had finally lost his marbles.


	13. Blood

**_~YJ~_**

**013. Blood**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

"Hey Rob?"

**_Gigage_**

"Mm?"

**_Rood_**

"Let's become blood brothers."

**_Rouge_**

"What?"

**_Punainen_**

"Blood brothers, dude! I saw it in a movie once. We both prick our fingers and mix blood."

**_Rot_**

"You're crazy."

**_Kokkino_**

"What? No I'm not!"

**_Rosso_**

"You want me to purposely make myself bleed and then mix it with _yours_? Yes, you are."

**_Aka_**

"Why does that make me nuts?"

**_Lolo_**

"Think, KF. You're a science geek."

**_Rojo_**

"Oh, right...Can we still do it?"

**_Czerwony_**

_"_No, we _cannot _become blood brothers. As much as I love you, dude, That is _not _going to happen."

**_Marpo_**

"Why not!"

**_Coch_**

"You're a meta; I'm not. I don't know what would happen and I don't want to know."

**_Royt_**

"Fine, if you want to be that way. But you're still my brother."

**_Red_**


	14. Smile

**_~YJ~_**

**014. Smile**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

At Gotham Academy, Richard "Dick" Grayson, adopted son of billionaire playboy/Gotham's White Knight, Bruce Wayne, wasn't even the highest on the food chain.

It wasn't the ritziest school on the East Coast, public or private alike, but it had its fair share of potential kidnap victims. There were at least half a dozen offspring of government big shots, plus the daughter of a movie legend, a brother and sister who called an aging Rock legend Daddy, a Mafia princess, two real princesses, the son of a Russian shipping tycoon, the Gotham police commissioner's daughter, and the children of half Gotham's Mob bosses.

She—Artemis Crock, charity case from the wrong side of town—was barely a blip on the radar, and she was fine with that. She didn't want the attention of a bunch of rich snobs who thought they were _so much _better than she was just because she attended on a scholarship; she _especially _didn't want _his _attention.

He was always hanging out with the police commissioner's kid—the redheaded student council president, nice enough, but sort of bossy—and they passed each other in the halls, but all the acknowledgement she'd ever gotten was a smile and a "hey." They had a total of three classes together—trig, phys ed, and French—and he'd always been polite, but he had never purposely gone out of his way to strike up a conversation with her.

That is, until today, when he slid into the seat next to her, dropped his bag on the floor, and gave her a friendly smile and a "what's up?"


	15. Silence

**_~YJ~_**

**015. Silence**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

Silence was in the hours they spent apart.

Silence was in the instant of victory, when they'd defeated their adversaries.

Silence was in the moments it seemed that they would lose.

Silence was in the seconds it took Robin to hack the systems.

Silence was in the months it took Artemis and Wally to realize they were meant for each other.

Silence was in the duration one of their own was in danger of losing their life.

Silence was in the past each of them was afraid to face.

Silence was in the minute Robin disappeared like a ninja.

Silence was in the time when the dust settled and the battle came to an end.

Silence was in the years they stayed friends and teammates.

Silence was in the day they declared their independence and told the Justice League to either get on board or get out of the way.

Silence was when they mourned the loss of their teammate.


	16. Questioning

**_~YJ~_**

**016. Questioning**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

"Hey, Bruce?"

The billionaire glanced up from his paperwork at his eight-year-old charge. The boy looked nervous, shifting from foot to foot, and avoiding his gaze. Sensing someone bad was coming, he set aside the stack of papers and lifted an eyebrow.

"Dick, what's wrong?"

"Oh nothing, nothing. I was just wondering…can I ask you something?"

He felt relief flood through him. _Just a question. _He nodded and motioned towards the chair across from him. When Dick had taken a seat, he smiled and said, "So, what is it?"

Dick looked up at him, eyes wide and innocent.

"Where do babies come from?"


	17. Uncharted Territory

**_~YJ~_**

**017. Uncharted Territory**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

"Are you sure there's no other way?"

No, the Boy Wonder wasn't scared—he didn't _do _scared—but he was plenty cautious. This was uncharted territory he was facing; God only knew what was past those doors.

"I am afraid not, Robin. It must be done."

He was afraid of that. Well, if he _had _to do it, he wasn't going without sufficient protection. The team didn't know precisely what was waiting for them, so they would have to be prepared for anything from mutant cockroaches to sentient mold.

"Fine. Gas mask?"

The air in the space beyond the metal door was unsuitable for sustaining human life; of that, they were certain. He would need a filter to keep from inhaling the noxious fumes.

"Here."

The small rubber device was pressed into his hands, and he strapped it on. He breathed in and out a few times, testing the filter.

"Surgical gloves and tongs? Thanks."

He pulled the yellow gloves over his hands and gripped the tongs; his experience in Gotham had taught him you could never be _too _careful.

"Good luck my friend."

Kaldur clapped him on the shoulder warmly, his face impassive. Robin nodded, accepting his older brother's words of luck. They both knew how dangerous this mission was; there was a very good chance that the team's youngest member would not return from this alive.

"I'll need it. Kaldur, if I don't make it back, tell Batman I didn't go down without a fight."

His voice sounded hollow coming through the appliance. Kaldur nodded solemnly.

"I will make sure he and everyone knows that you went down with honor, the way any noble man would want."

The Atlantean clasped his friend in a brief hug. His eyes shone with worry as he let go, stepping back from the doorway. The rest of the team stood aside, watching as their youngest member readied to embark on his most deadly task yet.

Wally watched the melodrama fold out in front of his room with an amused expression.

"Aren't you two being a _bit _dramatic? If you wanted me to pick up my dirty laundry, you just had to ask."


	18. Rainbow

**_~YJ~_**

**018. Rainbow**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

Wally West is many things.

He's hyperactive and eats more than the rest of his friends put together. He's stubborn as a mule and just as resilient, with a moral compass that doesn't quite point north. He calls himself a ladies' man, despite his less-than-stellar track record. He's flirty, quirky, kindhearted, carefree, and a jokester. He's loyal to his friends until the end, and will do anything for them. He refuses to believe in magic, despite having seen it and experienced it firsthand. He's a hero, although no one except fellow heroes are aware of that fact. He was the host body for Doctor Fate for a few minutes, the younger of the two protectors of Central City, and one of the lucky few who were trusted with the identities of Batman and Robin. Wally is hardheaded, he can break the sound barrier in his sneakers, and he will do anything to impress a girl.

He's also willing to do anything at least once.

That last one would explain why he was currently pressed against the wall in a maintenance closet in the Cave, hands tangled in raven hair and mouth otherwise occupied. When Flash opened the door and raised an eyebrow at the two, he hadn't said anything; he only looked at his nephew and said, "It would be safe to assume that Batman doesn't know about this."

The next morning, Wally only said one thing to his uncle:

"What can I say? The rainbow doesn't discriminate."


	19. Gray

**_~YJ~_**

**019. Gray**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

When I saw the assassin Cheshire's face, I was reminded of my purpose—my mission. Placed undercover in the Justice League's junior team, I was the double agent. A top operative of the League of Shadows, planted within the Justice League, ready to leap into action when I was called upon. I had been raised and trained as an agent of the world's leading organization in extortion, manipulation, and power-broking, taught how to kill and lie from the time I could walk. I was the perfect assassin; after all, who would suspect a sixteen-year-old biracial girl from the bad part of Gotham (not that there was much different between the good and bad parts) as a deadly killer?

When I'm around the others, I tell myself that when my father gives the order, I'll have the strength to tell him no. I don't want to kill the others; they're the first real friends I've ever had, and I couldn't imagine killing them. No, that's a lie; I _can _imagine it, in vivid, realistically morbid detail. When I close my eyes, I can see their blood painting the walls, their bodies crumbled on the ground, empty eyes staring up at me. I can see the looks of utter betrayal on their faces. They've made a real difference in my life; for the first time, I can act like a regular teenager instead of a soldier, and for the first time, I don't have to worry about living to see tomorrow.

I tell myself that the sins of my father do not make me a murderer, but that's a lie too. He's made me into what I am today, and there are so many ways to describe what I have become.

Spy, sleeper agent, double agent, scout, infiltrator, terrorist, assassin, traitor, liar, betrayer, deserter, mole, inside agent, criminal, vigilante; all of these words fit my job description. Yet none of them can truly express it. Those terms are in black and white. But me?

I live in the shades of gray.


	20. Fortitude

**_~YJ~_**

**020. Fortitude**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

If someone didn't know the truth, at face value, the gang didn't look like much. A group of adolescents of multiple nationalities and interests—Kryptonian, Martian, Atlantean, Vietnamese, Romani*, American—seemingly held together by the several relationships among them—Wally and Robin, Connor and M'gann, Kaldur and Artemis. No one would suspect that they'd fought a raging, fury-filled monster created by a hyped-up super soldier serum. No one would suspect that behind the front lay a group of heroes who risked their lives in battling superpowered psychos on a regular basis.

Even if someone _did _manage to get past the facade everyone else saw, they wouldn't be able to understand what exactly kept them fighting. What was it that caused a group of teenagers to put their necks on the line for people they'd never even met? Were their reasons selfish, such as self-preservation and family? Was it something more, like when a mother sacrifices herself for her child, or when someone puts themselves between their loved ones and danger?

They couldn't possibly see the bond that exists between the members of the team. Forged through fire, fights, and common ground, it's something much deeper than self-righteousness or selflessness. True, they each had something or someone to protect, and they each had their own personal reasons for fighting the good fight, but it was more than that. An unfathomable connection that ties them together through the thick and thin. Standing alone, they are formidable, but together, they are unstoppable. They play to each other's strengths and weaknesses, supporting each other and watching their backs. Apart, they're just kids in it way over their heads, but together, the fortitude their bond creates keeps them alive and strong, and ready for whatever comes next.

**_~YJ~_**

**Initially, I was going to wait until tomorrow to post the rest of these, but then I decided to go ahead and put 'em up. Also, since Robin was once part of a circus, I listed him as Romani, meaning that his family never stayed in one place and was always traveling. If anyone has a better answer, let me know.  
><strong>


	21. Vacation

**_~YJ~_**

**021. Vacation**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

"This is the worst vacation ever."

Dick had to agree. The car had broken down on the side of the road, refusing to do anything more than sputter pathetically and die, leaving them with no mode of transportation other than their own two feet. So Wally had suggested that they call for a tow truck, only to find out that his phone's battery had died and Dick's was missing. This left them with no other option than to start walking in the general direction of their destination, according to a beat up old map Wally bought off a guy who was trying to hitchhike his way to Madrid. After three hours, they were _still _walking.

"At least it can't get any worse."

_Crash!_

That was when it started pouring.

Worst. Vacation. Ever.


	22. Mother Nature

**_~YJ~_**

**022. Mother Nature**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

Wally dashed around the corner at break-neck speed, Robin and Superboy right behind him, and Kaldur close behind them, and ran for cover i.e. the supply closet. All of them were breathing hard, beads of sweat on their foreheads, as they ducked in. Kaldur shut the door quickly and leaned up against it, panting_. _Robin was doubled over, hands on his knees, breath quick and shallow. That wasn't surprising; they'd been chased around three levels and up four flights of stairs until they finally found refuge.

"Holy crow," Robin gasped between breaths, "they're fast as hell. What's wrong with them?"

Wally shook his head, a term he'd heard somewhere popping up in his head. Their behavior fit the bill, and it _would _explain a few things.

"I think it's their time of the month. Girls get crazy around their time; I think Mom called it PMS."

Robin opened his mouth, but footsteps outside the door put a stopper in whatever he was going to say. The four of them held their breath, hoping that they would just go away. Alas, their hopes were in vain. For a moment, there was silence, and then the door was yanked open, revealing the three girls whom they had been fleeing from—Artemis, Black Canary, and Batgirl—each wearing a similar furious expression. The boys could practically see the flaming background.

Superboy snorted and scowled.

"Oh, and what does that mean? 'Permissible Man Slaughter?'"

Mother Nature strikes again.


	23. Cat

**_~YJ~_**

**023. Cat**

**Rated: K**

**_~YJ~_**

"Mee-uf-ow!"

Artemis barely had time to blink before a petite vivid red furball launched itself into her arms. It looked up at her with grass green eyes and meowed again, pawing at her shirt. She stared at it in shock; it wasn't possible. And yet…

"….Wally?"

The kitten meowed again, flashing diminutive fangs, and raised a paw, as if he was waving. She shook her head in disbelief.

Red Tornado had better have an explanation for why the group's speedster was now a small kitten, because she sure didn't, and somehow she doubted that Robin would like coming back to the Cave to find his best friend was a cat.


	24. Countdown

**_~YJ~_**

**024. Countdown**

**Rated: K**

**_~YJ~_**

**_20_**

_I wish people would stop polluting the oceans…_

**_19_**

_I wish I could talk to my parents one last time…_

**_18_**

_I wish Speedy—I mean, _Red Arrow _would join the team…_

**_17_**

_I wish Superman would acknowledge me…_

**_16_**

_I wish I understood Earth better…_

**_15_**

_I wish my dad weren't such a jerk…_

**_14_**

_I wish Garth had joined me in this role…_

**_13_**

_I wish I could tell you guys my name…_

**_12_**

_I wish Robin would tell us his name…_

**_11_**

_I wish I had a real family…_

**_9_**

_I wish I was a Green Martian…_

**_8_**

_I wish Red Arrow would stop hating me…_

**_7_**

_I wish my king and all of Atlantis prosperity…_

**_6_**

_I wish I could be a good leader…_

**_5_**

_I wish people would get my name right for a change…_

**_4_**

_I wish people would stop ripping my shirts…_

**_…3_**

_I wish Superboy would notice me…_

**_…2_**

_I wish I could have caught Cheshire…_

**_…1_**

_DING._

_"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"_

_**~YJ~**_

**The pattern is Aqualad, Robin, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis. Alright, so this is a bit different than I first imagined; but then I thought about a countdown, I thought about numbers ticking backwards, which somehow went from a bomb to "3, 2, 1, Happy New Year!"**_  
><em>


	25. Memory

_**~YJ~**_

**025. Memory**

**Rated: T**

_**~YJ~**_

The last thing I remembered when I woke up in the Bialyan desert, dehydrated and with a massive headache, was sparring with Barbara in the gym at Wayne Manor. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it was six months later and I was on the other side of the world, and the most recent memory I had was of getting my ass kicked by a girl; not that it was just any girl, it was Barbara, and that was all that salvaged my pride. She could hold her own in a fight and she was just as good with computers as I was, so that made me feel slightly better; it wasn't the first time she beat me and it wouldn't be the last.

_I blocked the kick by grabbing her foot; I jerked it towards me, her leg rubbing against my side as it went pass, and she lurched forwards into my fist. She saved herself from a nasty bruise by rolling with the punch, but I could feel her cheekbone under my knuckles. I wasn't as lucky, taking the full brunt of her uppercut; I felt blood explode in my mouth in a flash of pain, and I tasted the sharp tang of copper. I let her go and she stepped back, looking satisfied. I spat a loogie on the mat, and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Nasty. I glared at her. "Cheater. You _let_ me catch your foot; you sucker punched me," I accused angrily. She smirked impishly; sometimes she could be such a bitch, not that I would ever say that to her face._

_I charged and swung a roundhouse punch at her. She bent backward and I felt my knuckles swish past her nose. Damn. She went with her momentum, twisting her body and falling into a back handspring, vaulting out of my range. Her pale blue eyes, shades lighter than my own, narrowed and her lips twisted in a frown; her chest was heaving as she gulped in air. Her vibrant red hair was anchored in a ponytail, pulled back from her face, and I could see the perspiration on her forehead; I could feel the sweat beading on my own forehead. Her eyes locked on something over my shoulder; I can't believe I fell for that, but I turned to look. Nothing. I whipped back around to face her just in time to see her hurl a batarang—where was she keeping that, she's wearing a sports bra and shorts!—and flung it past my face. It lodged itself in the control panel on the wall, shorting out the lights. We were plunged into darkness, and I froze._

_I stood still for a moment, eyes closed, listening for any hint of movement. There. The whisper of footsteps against the matt to my left; I turned on my heel and lashed out blindly. My fist impacted with flesh, likely her stomach; I heard a soft "oomph" and a _thud_, and I grinned widely. Down she goes. My triumph was short lived, however, as a vice-like grip clamped down on my ankle and she pulled my leg out from under me. My back let its discontent be known, protesting when my spine connected with the training matt. I gasped with surprise when a soft but muscled body climbed on top of mine; a slender hand grabbed my wrists and pinned them to the floor, and its partner pressed against my throat. The back-up lights kicked in and I was staring up at Barbara. She was smirking again, looking incredibly pleased with herself; some of her hair had escaped from her ponytail and hung in her face, tickling my nose. She leaned in close and said, "I win, little birdie."_

As I staggered on under the hot sun, I clung to that memory, because the only thing I was sure of was that it was real and _she_ was real, and if I let myself forget _that, _I would never get out of the desert. Even when our group was reunited and our memories restored, I still kept that one memory clear in my mind, with one thought:

_I want a re-match._


	26. Tears

**_~YJ~_**

**026. Tears**

**Rated: K**

**_~YJ~_**

The first thing that Kaldur thought when he saw Robin's eyes for the first time was that they were really, _really _blue, brighter and deeper than Red Arrow's or Superboy's eyes. The second thing he noticed was that they were welling up with tears. Kaldur had gone looking for the other boy to tell him that the group was going into town; what he'd found had led him to tell the others that they would catch up later.

When he'd knocked on the boy's bedroom door, he got no response, but he could hear strange sounds coming from inside. They sounded strangled and hushed, but he could hear the pain. Making a mental note to apologize later, he took a step back and, with a solid kick, knocked down the door. Whatever he was expecting, it wasn't what he found; Robin was curled up on his side, a pillow clutched in his hands and his knees drawn up to his chest. His eyes, wide and uncovered, were fixed on the Atlantean; Kaldur spotted his shades lying discarded on the floor. There were tear tracks on his cheeks, and his eyes were bloodshot and puffy.

"…Robin?"

The single word shattered the uneasy calm that had descended in the room, and in a few long strides, he'd crossed the threshold and sat down on the bed next to his sniffling friend. Without saying a word, he tugged the pillow out of Robin's surprisingly weak grip and pulled the crying boy into a hug. He felt the younger tense up at the contact, and he hoped that he hadn't just screwed it up and made it worse. But then Robin relaxed against him and buried his face in Kaldur's chest, and Kaldur held him as he cried.

Sometimes Kaldur forgot that Robin was only thirteen. Despite being the smallest on the team, he was best fighter and the most highly trained, with the most experience. He could take Superboy out in hand-to-hand combat in under two minutes, and could take on opponents much larger and stronger than himself. It was easy to overlook that the acrobat was still, in reality, a child.

The fact that Robin was the youngest was suddenly very important, and he could feel his whole perspective shift as he held the trembling boy close. His hand was rubbing soothing circles between the other boy's shoulder blades; he could feel Robin's tears soak through his jacket. Kaldur felt an abrupt surge of affection for the little bird.

Kaldur had never thought that Robin could be vulnerable; all he saw was the lighthearted, slightly immature, smirking teammate. Robin was strong-willed and hyper and a prankster; he was kind and patient with M'gann and Superboy, fun-loving and teasing with Wally, and all of those things with Kaldur.

The boy in his arms was _still _Robin. Impish eyes. Messy hair. Wild smile. Creepy cackle. Secrets. Video game extraordinaire. Hacking master. Kid genius. Born leader. Ninja of the night. Boy Wonder. Protégé of the Dark Knight. Caped Crusader. Half of the "Dynamic Duo." The little brother of the team.

My_ little brother…_


	27. Foreign

_**~YJ~**_

**027. Foreign**

**Rated: K**

_**~YJ~**_

Everything about Earth is foreign to her—the different people and the different cultures, all the cities and towns, the shopping and slang. Everything is new and everything is different, and sometimes it frightens her. On Mars, there are only two races—the Green Martians and the White Martians—and the main differences between the two are psychological; as shapeshifters, physical appearance has little meaning for Martians, and White Martians have configured their physiology to reflect their philosophy. But humans…humans are different.

There are one hundred and ninety-five countries in the world and even more nationalities, and yet they are all one race; they are all human. Wherever you went, despite appearances, languages, or cultures, underneath they were all the same. She didn't understand why there were wars raging across the globe; why did they find the need to fight if they were all the same? On Mars, it was understandable, but on Earth, couldn't they just talk out their problems? Couldn't they see that if they kept fighting each other, they would kill themselves off in a matter of time?

She doesn't understand why people like living in cramped and cluttered cities like Gotham, Metropolis, Central, and Star City. Why do they enjoy being squished together? Do they like living with little breathing room? Also, what makes a city a city? What makes it different from a town? Is it simply population, or the size of the metropolitan area? How do they differentiate between a town, city, or village?

There are many things she doesn't understand—like why so many people are so obsessed with make-up—and she thinks that she'll never really understand. Because as human as she might appear, she will never be truly human, and Earth will _always _be foreign to her.

**_~YJ~_**

**Okay, I don't like this one very much, but it was all I could think of, so please forgive me.**


	28. Sorrow

**_~YJ~_**

**028. Sorrow**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

It was almost noon on a Wednesday and he still had barely moved. Alfred had come earlier and left a tray on the side table; the sandwich had long gone stale and the Coke was flat. Normally, Bruce would be on his narrow behind in an instant for skipping school, but this wasn't a normal situation; it was the anniversary of his parents' deaths, and that was the reason he was still in bed, looking through an old photo album; a pile of empty tissue boxes was steadily growing next to his bed.

Five years ago to the day, a little boy watched in horror as his parents plummeted to their deaths under the Big Top. Now the same boy was curled up on his side under his blankets and hugging a pillow, his cheeks wet with tears.

He sucked in a breath as the rush of memories broke through his mental wall and flooded his mind.

_A splash of blood across his cheek, warm and wet._

_Two bodies falling through empty space, the sound of impact echoing in his ears._

_Tears welling up in his eyes, falling down his cheeks and leaving perfect circles on his shirt._

_A half-eaten hot dog, melting ice cream, and butter-soaked popcorn scattered on the ground, the remnants of a long-lost day of fun and play._

_His reflection staring up at him, blue eyes wide and lip trembling, from a puddle on the pavement._

_A knife with a wicked edge glinting in the moonlight, scant inches from his face._

_Two men, one holding a gun and the other wearing a purple velvet top hat, arguing in front of a tent._

The images were forever imprinted in his brain; no matter how many years separated him and the event, it would always linger, just beyond the edge.


	29. Happiness

**_~YJ~_**

**029. Happiness**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

When he was a teenager, he had never thought that he would ever be serious about just one person. He would flirt and he would mess around, but he hadn't been able to imagine waking up with the same person for the rest of his life. Yet, here he was, working as a forensic scientist for the police, setting out breakfast for his wife and acting completely OCD about it.

_Cinnamon rolls, plenty of icing and perfectly gooey…check. Banana nut muffins, freshly made from scratch…check. Bacon, crispy but not burnt…check. A sliced Granny Smith apple, her favorite…check. A coffee for her—straight up and black, no cream, no sugar—and orange juice for me…check. All that's missing is..._

As if on cue, the shuffling of feet on carpet alerted him to her arrival. With a grin, he turned to stare at her. She was standing in the doorway, still looking wiped from the mission the previous night. She yawned and stretched, and Wally shamelessly dragged his eyes down her body. There was just something incredibly sexy about long tanned legs, a tiny black nightdress, and tousled blonde hair.

"Good morning," he said warmly. He could smell her shampoo from across the room, the scents of vanilla and oranges; he loved her hair—it was always so soft, and the way it shone in the sunlight…stunning.

"Morning," she mumbled; obviously, she wasn't quite as awake as he was. He waved his hand at the spread on the table. "I made breakfast," he tried again.

She stared at the food for a moment before eyeing him doubtfully. "What's the occasion?"

He faked looking offended. "What, I can't do something nice for my wife?"

She shook her head. "No, you can. It's just highly suspicious," she explained. He closed the distance between them and pulled her into a kiss. When he stepped back, he grinned and said, "I'm just happy to have you, that's all."


	30. Under The Rain

**_~YJ~_**

**030. Under the Rain**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

A layer of clouds that made Mount McKinley look like a pancake blotted out the sky, as well as some of Gotham's taller buildings. The rain had been slow at first, gradually falling harder and faster until it pounded the city of Gotham mercilessly. Most people had retreated into the relative safety of their homes and the slick sidewalks were near empty; even the homeless had seemed to vanish.

She was sitting by herself on the park bench. Her jacket didn't provide much protection against the freezing rain or the wind that plucked at her hair, and she pulled it closer to her in an attempt to shield herself from the cold. She knew it would be more sensible to head home, cut down on the risk of catching pneumonia, but she couldn't make herself leave. The smell of the rain, the tree above her being jerked around by the wind that battered her cheeks—something about it was comforting…soothing, even. There was no one else around, and she was able to just close her eyes, tilt her head back, and relax.

"Well, what do we have here?"

_Never mind._

Artemis opened her eyes and glared at the young Asian woman standing in front of her. The scowl was met with a smirk and she _knew _her day was going to go downhill faster than she could say, _well, fuck._ Mask or no mask, Jade Nguyen was a sub-zero, self-serving bitch; she would stab Artemis in the back and sell her out the nanosecond it was in her best interest.

The rain _had _been relaxing; somehow, she didn't think it was going to stay that way.


	31. Flowers

**_~YJ~_**

**031. Flowers**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

It was a bouquet…on her nightstand. Artemis stared at it; she blinked. No, it was still there, mocking her. "How the _hell _did someone get into my _house_?" she hissed in anger, looking around paranoid, as if she expected the intruder to still be there. Unsurprisingly, they weren't; whoever had done this was probably long gone.

Ignoring the flowers, she checked her apartment's security cameras; on a hunch, she even re-ran the footage frame by frame to foil any speedsters. Still nothing. There was a slight glitch in the timer, but it only skipped two seconds, not enough time for even Kid Flash to come in, arrange the flowers, and leave. One moment the nightstand was empty, the next, the bouquet was sitting there. _So who did this? _Someone snuck into her apartment, while she was sleeping, without waking her up.

To give her flowers? What the _fuck_?

She had to admit, it was a…strange arrangement. Purple lilacs, lotus blossoms, Lucrene, Venetian mallow, balsam, white rose buds, pomegranate flowers, garden ranunculus, a burgundy rose, Spanish jasmine, tuberose, and in the middle, a white lily. She gaped at it for a few more seconds before deciding to go take a shower and get ready for the day. She would toss out the flowers later. But she couldn't stop herself from feeling like she was missing something…

She was unaware that, while all this unfolded, a pair of grass green eyes were fixed on her, unblinking. He lifted a hand to his ear, activating his comm-link.

"Thanks, M'gann, I owe you one."

A smile slowly spread across his face.


	32. Dark

**_~YJ~_**

**032. Dark**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

Even as a little kid, Dick had never been afraid of the dark. Watching his mother and father shown in stark relief by the spotlights, even as they threw themselves off platforms for the entertainment of elated crowds, Dick had sat in darkness. The dark had never been the home of the monsters other children described—not for him. The darkness had been welcoming; it whispered to him, called to him. It was safe, it was familiar. He knew it well, having stood in the shadows of the Big Top his entire childhood.

When his parents died, Dick embraced the dark even more, because he knew that the darkness he loved so much wasn't the same as the darkness in Tony Zucco. That wasn't darkness; it was evil and it was selfish, and it was everything the dark wasn't. When Bruce Wayne took him in as his ward, Dick made it his personal mission to seek out the nooks and crannies in the Manor. He didn't know how many hours he spent sitting in the dark of his room, silent and alone.

He knows that in the arms of darkness, he is safe. Batman lives in the dark, _personifies _the dark for the low-life scum of Gotham. Dick has never been afraid of the dark, and if that makes him a little strange…

You have to be to save the world.


	33. Beautiful

**_~YJ~_**

**033. Beautiful**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

"Okay, now start pushing Miss Gordon. That's it, you're doing great. Pu-"

"_Don't _fucking _start with me, doc! Trust me! I'm pushing!"_

Dick winced, though he didn't know if it was because of Barbara's bitchiness or the fact that she was practically crushing his hand. He had wisely decided to keep his mouth shut and just held her hand throughout the ordeal.

"Yes, yes. I can feel the hair, that's it. Almost there…"

_"Waaaaa!" _The newborn's cry filled the room as the doctor lifted it up into the air. "Congratulations, Miss Gordon, Mr. Grayson. It's a gi-oh. Hmm…"

Through the cloud of joy, Dick caught that last part. And it worried him.

"What do you mean 'hmm'?"

The doctor looked at him hurriedly and said, "O-Oh! It's nothing, I'm sure! Here!"

She handed him a pair of scissors and held up the bloody newborn. She pointed to a place of the umbilical cord and said, smiling, "Would you like to do the honors?"

He grinned and nodded, and as he made the cut, he took a brief look at his little girl. Her hair, short and spiky, was the same raven-black as his, and for that, he was _so _proud. She had light skin, pale eyes, and looked rather small in the doctor's hands. His eyes widened when he realized that her eyes were unfocused and dull. She didn't see him. As the doctor turned to take her away to clean her up, Dick put a hand on her shoulder.

"Dr. Barnett, her eyes…is she blind?"

The woman looked at him with understanding and sympathy.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Grayson, but I don't know. It's quite possible she is, but I can't be sure until she's examined. If she is, you have to be prepared to deal with her disability and overcome it. You understand?"

He nodded, dropping his hand, and looked over his shoulder at his sleeping girlfriend. She'd passed out from exhaustion as soon as she'd heard her baby's first cries. He sighed with resentment.

"Yeah, I know. Go get her cleaned up and examined. I just don't know how I'll tell Babs."

The doctor nodded and left with their baby girl. As soon as the door closed, he turned around and walked over to the hospital bed. Pulling up a chair, he sat down next to Barbara and slipped his hand into hers, squeezing lightly. She shifted, moaned lightly, and opened her eyes. He smiled gently, trying to figure out how he was going to break the news to her.

"Hey, babe. It's a girl."

She grinned weakly and said, "Really? How is she? Can I hold her?"

Dick nodded and kissed her cheek.

"Yes, really. Babs, she's beautiful, just like her mother. Except…"

Barbara's eyes widened with worry and fear.

"Except what, Dick? What?"

He swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump in his throat, and said softly, "Dr. Barnett believes that she may be blind."

The redhead took a deep breath and, calmly, said, "Well, if she is blind then we'll just have to find a way to work around that, won't we?"

If she _was_ blind…well, that would really suck. It would certainly put a damper on their day, but they would find a way to deal. Dick decided then and there that it didn't matter. It didn't matter about her eyes. She was their daughter—_their_ daughter—and that was all that mattered in the end.

_Holy shit, I'm a father._

And then…

_She's so beautiful. Both of my girls are so beautiful._


	34. Faint

**_~YJ~_**

**034. Faint**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

Roy Harper had seen and done some crazy things in his eighteen years. He'd been all over the world for several different reasons with several different people (not always for exactly _legal_ reasons), flirted, bribed, and lied his way out of many a hard spot, and he'd lied his way into as many bars and clubs as he could before the bouncers kicked his ass for flirting with their girlfriends. He'd seen things that would make most grown men scream like little girls and cry for their mommies, and he'd done some stuff he wasn't proud of, per say. He'd stood tall and defiant, laughed (quite literally) in the face of death, and not felt any fear or anxiety.

However, when Jade, with her long black hair pulled back in an untidy bun and her eyes red from crying, came to him that day, she said aloud the three words that would change his life forever; "Roy, I'm pregnant."

For one of the few times in his life, Roy Harper fainted simply from shock.


	35. Water

**_~YJ~_**

**035. Water**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

_I knew I shoulda taken the mission in Hawaii. If I had, I wouldn't be _in _this situation! Wait, why did I even say no in the first place? Alaska? Hawaii? Alaska? Hawaii? Middle-of-frikkin-nowhere? Sunny, sandy beaches, the ocean, and hot girls? Why in hell did I choose Alaska!_

He was brought out of his inner ranting when his girlfriend cried out in pain as another cramp hit. It had been a long, excruciating experience for both Artemis and Wally, and the redhead was so relieved that the nine months were drawing to a close he could cry. His blonde girlfriend wasn't due for about a week, but he was practically ecstatic knowing that soon it would all be over and they'd have their baby with them. The two of them had talked and decided that they didn't want to know if they were having a boy or a girl; they wanted to be surprised. However, they _had _decided on two names: Jay if it was a boy and Iris if it was a girl. Artemis yelled again and then suddenly sat up straight and stared at Wally, face deceptively calm.

"…Wally?"

"Yeah?"

She stood up slowly, tucked a chunk of flaxen hair behind an ear, and said with as straight a face as possible, "Either I just wet myself, or my water broke."


	36. Tactical Retreat

**_~YJ~_**

**036. Tactical Retreat**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

It was hanging there, taunting him, half-in and half-out of the dresser drawer. Pink and curvy and undeniably _calling _to him, and it was freaking him out. His instincts were telling him it was time to _run, dude, run!_, but for some reason, he inexplicably wanted to reach out and touch it. For a moment, he couldn't remember why he was in her room, feet glued to the floor and unable to follow mental commands to _move._

A textbook. He was there for a textbook. He had trig homework due the next day and he needed to borrow her book; his copy had been the unfortunate recipient of Connor's annoyance when Wally had blatantly flirted with Megan. All he needed was her book.

So why was he standing there like a statue staring at her bra?

"Connor? What are you doing in my room?"

_Tactical retreat!_


	37. Broken Arrow

**_~YJ~_**

**037. Broken Arrow**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

The shaft of light coming from his window cut in and out, in and out, as the train passed by outside. The sound of the locomotive thundering past drowned out his breathing, heavy and labored, and his broad shoulders shook. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, his arms propped up on his knees and his head in his hands; it was _calling _him, beckoning silently for him to come. He couldn't concentrate, couldn't focus, couldn't _think_.

_He knew it was **wrong** and **weak**, but he couldn't deny that he felt the urge._

Life with Oliver Queen had never been easy. Ollie was a playboy and a party boy, and he knew **_nothing_**about taking care of a kid. Roy was practically raised on the Queen family chili, and the older archer would frequently disappear for hours, sometimes days. Roy had never minded Ollie's way of life; it suited him just fine being left to his own devices. He liked his independence; he didn't need Oliver always looking over his shoulder like Batman did with Robin. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, _by _himself.

_He told himself he didn't need it. He told himself he could stop any time he wanted. He told himself that the **drug** wasn't slowly consuming him._

It was only when he was **alone**, lying in bed and staring up at the ceiling or sitting on the couch, that he realized how big the place seemed for one person. It was only then that he would even _consider_ thinking that maybe he _did _need Oliver. The apartment didn't seem quite as **empty** when the man was around, nor as quiet. There was only so much time a kid could spend on his own before he got **lonely**. Before he felt **abandoned**.

_He cursed the **weakness** he felt in himself._

He had known when he woke up that morning before patrol that he was going to shoot up. He had known that he would allow the **poison** to enter his veins once again. The needle sat there on the desk, glinting in the dim light. He could hear it whispering in his ear. _Just one little shot. What could it hurt? You can stop at any time. You're not **addicted**. You don't need heroin to survive. It's just to pass the time. _He heard it every day, and it was only a matter of minutes before he **cracked** and **broke**. He wouldn't be able to resist it for long; he was **helpless** to do otherwise.

_He remembered the feeling of the drug coursing through his veins. The feeling of elation and euphoria, that **nothing** else mattered._

Roy tried his hardest not to think about what he had done to obtain the heroin. He had **stolen** the needles and he had swiped money out of Ollie's safe in order to _pay _for the drug. If Oliver figured out some cash was **missing**, he would think that Roy had taken it for the rent or groceries, or maybe to help finance his hero career. The man would never consider that maybe his ex-partner had used it to buy drugs. If he ever found out, he would be beyond **furious**.

_He was **angry** and he was **tired**; he wanted **nothing** more than to curl up in a ball and **die**._

He didn't want to feel. He didn't want to know. He just wanted the numbing sensation that the drug brought him. He just wanted everything to **fade** away into blissful **nothing**. He didn't want to remember how **lost** he felt, how the drug had **defeated** him. He used to be so strong, so powerful. Out of the "sidekicks," he was the oldest. Wally and Dick had looked up to him; he was their brother. What would they think if they found out? He would lose their trust and respect; they wouldn't see him as a hero anymore.

Who was he kidding? Red Arrow was a **joke**. Sportsmaster was right:

He was a **broken** arrow.

**_~YJ~_**

**Sorry guys. This is going to be my last update for a while. I started the next one, but I probably won't be able to post it. School is starting soon (Monday, to be precise) and I have an essay due the first day...which I haven't started (should probably be working on that...).**

**Anyway, before I do anything else for the 100 themes, I have to finish my stuff for school first. This doesn't have a deadline: that does, and I've ignored it since May. Now, that's coming around to bite me in the ass.**

**As always, reviews, reviews, reviews! I couldn't do this without reviews. Tell me if you spot a mistake or are confused about something (I know this all makes sense in my head, but it might not be the same for you guys, and I don't want any misconceptions). Add the story to your Alerts if you haven't already.**

**Thanks for everything so far and I'll try to finish up the Essay From Hell as soon as possible. Wish me luck! *starts crying* ...i really don't want to do it...**


	38. Flight

**_~YJ~_**

**038. Flight**

**Rated: K**

**_~YJ~_**

Artemis called him suicidal, and for once, Wally whole-heartedly agreed. It didn't make sense to them why he would willingly throw himself off buildings and cliffs, and wait until the very last second to save himself. They didn't understand, but she did. Barbara understood _exactly _why he enjoyed plummeting through empty air, because she had been there.

She understood the feeling of the air whipping against your face and tugging at your hair. She understood the feeling of exhilaration and delight that came with freefalling and having your stomach lodged somewhere in your throat.

More than that, she understood why he did it; it reminded him of back then, when he was the third part of the Flying Graysons. She understood that he needed to feel like he was flying once again; it made him feel closer to his parents. It took him back to when he was an eight-year-old boy, before his life changed forever. She didn't like it that she had to watch her best friend fling himself out into inky blackness, but she could understand.

After all, a little redheaded girl had been in the spectator stands with her father the day the Graysons plunged to their deaths. She could still hear the screaming ringing in her ears; some of it was her, some of it was him, some of it was everyone. She still had nightmares about that night under the big top. Sometimes she would wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, the images flashing in her mind. She would pull on her favorite robe, make herself a mug of hot chocolate, and go out on the fire escape and watch the stars. If it was bad for her, it was tenfold as worse for him.

Yes, Barbara could certainly understand why he wanted to fly.

_**~YJ~**_

__**I conquered the evil essay! *fanfare* I am TRIUMPHANT! However, school started yesterday (XP) and so updates might come a bit slower. I'll try to get at least one done per week, but the work load is gonna come at me fast (Honors Chemistry, Honors World History/Geography, second year French, SkillsUSA, etc). But I'm determined to keep this going, yeah?**

**Also, I've decided to let anyone who reads this have a say in what I write. If you have an idea, a quote you want me to use, a prompt you want me to write a story for, or a character you want to see more of, just shoot me a PM or include it it your review and it shall be done...eventually. Remember, I'm not exactly doing these stories in the order on the list, so I postpone a prompt if I can't think of what to write.**

**So, as always, review, review, review! I can't tell you how happy it makes me when you review! And favorite! Please, let me know what you like about my stories and what you don't. I want your opinions!  
><strong>


	39. Eyes

**_~YJ~_**

**039. Eyes**

**Rated: K**

**_~YJ~_**

M'gann didn't know who had originally said, "Eyes are the windows to the soul." _Whoever they were, they had been absolutely correct_, she decided. It was amazing what one could learn about someone from just his or her eyes. That was the something that was the same on Mars _and _Earth; she could always tell what people were thinking by looking at their eyes. She didn't need her telepathy; she didn't need experience with humans. She could decipher the inner workings of a person's mind simply by what their own eyes betrayed. This particularly came in handy when it came to her teammates. She loved their eyes.

**_Silver_**

Kaldur's eyes were cool and pale; the seashells she found on the beach sometimes were the same color. He was usually calm and his eyes tranquil and serene, but when he was angry, they were just like the ocean he hailed from—tumultuous and murky. They would darken and turn stormy, and that was when you knew he was pissed.

**_Blue_**

Connor's eyes were like Kaldur's—pale and serious. The only word to describe them was _crystalline. _Such a pure, light blue; even on TV, M'gann had never seen anyone else with his color—except Superman, of course. They got darker and frigid when he was angry or when someone mentioned Superman, and it was like looking at two glaciers. Sometimes—most of the time—it was terribly difficult to read him, but then something would change beneath aquamarine irises and she would see _everything._

**_Navy_**

Besides Robin, for obvious reasons, Artemis's eyes were the hardest for M'gann to read. A dark grey-blue, the slight slant was the only clue to her heritage. When she was irate, she would narrow her eyes and they could cut through steel. They were the sort of eyes that could warm you one moment and slice you up like Provolone the next. M'gann could see shadows in their depths; she didn't need to use her telepathy to know something horrible had happened to her Earth sister. No matter how bright her eyes and wide her smile, something sinister was always lurking just beneath the dark cobalt surface.

**_Green_**

In contrast to the washed-out colors of Kaldur and Connor's eyes, Wally's emerald eyes were bright and vivid. Just like the phrase said, they really were windows into his soul. The speedster could lie, he could fake, he could weasel, he could flirt; none of that changed the glint in his eyes. His eyes didn't have the phantoms seen in the others'. His childhood had been normal, and it showed when she looked in his eyes. There was a certain spark in the green, the telltale sign of a prankster, someone who was always planning.

**It really is amazing what you can learn about someone just from his or her eyes.**


	40. Rated

**_~YJ~_**

**040. Rated**

**Rated: K**

**_~YJ~_**

The light from the hall filtered into the bedroom, highlighting the boys in the bed. It was two in the morning; he had just gotten home from working late. A string of clues led him to the guest room—which was really Wally's room since he was the only person who ever stayed in it and his stuff had been strewn all around. The title screen for the movie _Texas Chainsaw Massacre _was still on the TV screen in the den, and a bowl of unpopped kernels had been forgotten on the coffee table; in the kitchen, there were two cups of congealing hot chocolate on the countertop next to the sink.

Wally only drank hot chocolate when he was terrified. It was a tradition dating back to when he was a little kid. Whenever he had a nightmare that truly scared him, he would wake up either his aunt or uncle and they would take him into the kitchen and make him hot chocolate. Not the "just add milk" kind of hot chocolate either; they would warm up milk in a pan on the stove, and pour the steaming liquid into a mug with a chunk of chocolate at the bottom.

Barry stifled his laughter at the sight of the two boys, curled up together liked two puppies in a basket. Dick was cuddling up against Wally, his head tucked under the redhead's chin and his arms tight around his torso; Wally had his arms wrapped protectively around the younger. The red and yellow sheets had been kicked to the end of the bed; the sleeping bag Dick used when he slept over had been abandoned on the floor. The TV on the dresser was still on, creating the only light source in the room; the black and white static tossing shadows on the walls.

He knew he shouldn't have let them watch that movie.


	41. Pen and Paper

**_~YJ~_**

**041. Pen and Paper**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

_Hey, Blondie. What's up?_

**_Who r u? What do u want?_**

_What, I can't say hi?_

**_I don't know u._**

_Yes, u do._

**_No, I don't. I think I'd remember._**

_Srry, I'm Dick Grayson. Call me Richard & live 2 regret it. ; )_

**_Doesn't ring a bell._**

_Seriously?_

**_Yeah, seriously. I. Don't. Know. You._**

_Name, Artemis Crock. Age, 15. ½ Vietnamese. Old school, Gotham North High School. U got in on a Wayne Found. scholarship. Lives w/ mom in apartment cause ur dad ran out on u. Ur ambidextrous, and have the 3rd highest score in the history of the Gotham Track and Field Competition._

**_WTF! How do u know this?_**

_Fear me, for I know everything. JK, Bruce Wayne's my dad._

**_What do u want? Gratitude? Thx 4 yanking me away from my friends._**

_Psh, ur grumpy. No, I wasn't expecting "gratitude." A fist in my face maybe._

**_Leave me alone or u still might get it._**

_Just what I wuz expecting. Actually, I wuz wondering if u'd consider joining the Student Council. I'm Vice President. We could do w/ a girl like u._

**_What do u mean 'a girl like me'?_**

_Brash, bold, tough, passionate, highly opinionated. Ur from a bad part of Gotham, so ur not like some of the kids at this school. You're real._

**_Is that good or bad?_**

_Good. Very good._

_**Idk, I'll have 2 think about it.**_

_No prob. Take ur time. The meetings r on Wed. at lunch. It's fun, we r very whelming usually.  
><em>

**_'Whelming'?_**

_..._**_  
><em>**

**_...Robin?_**

_So what do u say, Artemis?_

**"Sure, why not?"**

"Glad to hear it. Welcome to the Student Council."

_"Grayson, Crock! Care to share what's so much more important than algebra?"_

**"No, m'am!"**

"No, m'am."


	42. Confused

**_~YJ~_**

**042. Confused**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

He and Robin had been best friends for years, ever since their mentors had introduced them when Kid Flash was thirteen and Rob was eleven. At first, it had been easy to describe their friendship—straightforward competition, pure and simple. Be it video game wars, training (aka trying to—good-naturedly, of course—beat each other to a pulp), prank wars, or whenever their mentors teamed up together, they were always trying to best the other.

Since their first meeting, they had been practically joined at the hip, spending nearly every free moment together. They went to the movies together and shared artificially buttered popcorn and half-melted candy; they went roller-blading at the rink in Central City. They went to carnivals and amusement parks and blew up to two hundred buck each on games they almost always lost at, and rides that made them scream louder than any psychopath had ever managed. They camped out in front of Wayne Manor's 65" plasma screen TV with enough junk food to feed a third world country and a stack of movies as tall as Rob on the weekends.

Whenever Wally stayed over late at Wayne Manor or Dick at the West household, they would crash out in their bedrooms and sleep in late; sometimes they'd bring out the sleeping bags, sometimes they just shared the bed. Even when there was nothing to do, the two young heroes would spend hours talking—debating random topics ranging from movies, to school, sports, science, other superheroes, to their own mentors. It came to the point where a single day apart felt weird to them.

They could poke fun at and mock each other when one or the other failed at something, and they could trade jokes, insults, and good-natured ribbing on a regular basis, and to them, it was more than natural.

Wally was the only member of Young Justice to know Rob's secret identity, and that made him feel special. He was the _only one _to see the eyes between the designer sunglasses. It was as if he alone was privy to a great secret, and he was; to Robin, his privacy was incredibly important, and the sole fact that he allowed Wally to see the boy behind the cape was an unbelievable show of trust and familiarity. And if Wally was to be completely honest, he didn't like the idea of anyone else seeing the Boy Wonder with his guard down; he felt a surge of possessiveness whenever he thought about it.

As of late, their relationship seemed to have changed. Wally didn't know if the change had spawned from becoming teammates, or if it was something else entirely. Because he couldn't remember ever looking at his friend like this before.

Wally was positive that he had never stared at Rob and thought to himself that the inky-black hair looked soft and silky. He had never let his hand linger on the younger boy's shoulder for a second or two longer simply because he wanted to feel the wiry muscles under his fingers; to a speedster, a second or two could feel like hours. He had never watched Robin out of his periphery and caught himself admiring smooth, pale skin and raven hair. He had never found himself distracted during a conversation because he was staring at his friend's lips as they moved.

He didn't know exactly when things changed between them. But he stopped thinking about it sometime after Robin's—no, _Dick's—_hand traveled south, and started wondering why the hell they hadn't done this sooner.


	43. Adorable

**_~YJ~_**

**043. Adorable**

**Rated: K+  
><strong>

**_~YJ~_**

It was a lazy day; actually, it had been a lazy couple of weeks. It had been a while since Batman had given them a mission, and the team was getting restless; doing homework and training could only occupy them for so long. Robin was off doing the Dynamic Duo routine with Batman in Gotham, and Wally was bored without the Boy Wonder. And anyone with an ounce of common sense can tell you that a bored Wally is not good. When he was bored, he got antsy, and when he got antsy, well…

_"I'm Henry the Eighth, I am,_

_Henry the Eighth, I am, I am!_

_I got married to the widow next door,_

_She'd been married seven times before,_

_And every one was a Henry._

_She wouldn't have a Willie or Sam._

_I'm her eighth old man named Henry._

_Henry the Eighth, I am!"_

Aqualad sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. Usually, the Atlantean was one of the calmest of the group—he did not irritate as easily as Artemis, Superboy, or Kid Flash—but even _his_ patience was wearing thin. One hour and who-knows-how-many verses ago, the redhead had tired of "seeing how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop," and had broken into song. By now, even Kaldur was seeing the benefits of knocking the speedster unconscious. After the eighth verse, Artemis had stormed off, muttering something about target practice; Kaldur just prayed that she didn't choose Wally's room as her training ground. Megan had lured Connor into the kitchen to help her make cookies, and for once, the clone had been more than willing.

_"I'm Henry the Eighth, I am,_

_Henry the Eighth, I am, I am!"_

_"RECOGNIZED: ROBIN, B-01," _the computer announced, cutting off KF's song.

_Finally. _Kaldur had never been so happy to see the team's youngest member walk into the Cave's living room. That happiness quickly dissipated when he realized something—the Boy Wonder was swaying and paler than usual. Kaldur started to his feet.

"Robin, are you hurt?" The Atlantean couldn't see any obvious injuries and there wasn't any blood, but that didn't necessarily mean he was unhurt. Out of the corner of his eye, Kaldur spotted Wally staring at the acrobat, a strange expression on his face.

"'m fine. J'st tired," Robin slurred.

He dropped down next to Kid Flash, yawned, and leaned against the redhead. Robin was dressed in civvies, which made Kaldur wonder: why had he taken the time to change, and then come to Mt. Justice if he was so tired? Why didn't he just stay at the Batcave, or wherever the Caped Crusaders tucked in for the night? As he watched Robin curl up next to Kid Flash, he decided to keep these thoughts to himself. _I'll ask him later. For now, he needs to sleep._

Kaldur sat back down and picked up the book he'd been attempting to read; he'd discovered that it was exceedingly difficult to focus on sorcery when _someone _was being as obnoxious as he possibly could. Even though Kaldur had left his studies at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Poseidonis, he hadn't given up on the mystic arts completely, and he'd found surface-world magic to be simply intriguing.

A few weeks ago, he'd heard about a sorceress living in Manhattan from Aquaman and he'd paid her a visit. They'd hit it off once they got past their differences—him an Atlantean soldier turned superhero, and her an extra-dimensional being from a city outside of reality—and she'd lent him a few books. It was truly fascinating, spells and charms he'd never thought possible.

He glanced up a few minutes later from reading about fire elementals and smiled; Wally had wrapped his arm around Robin's shoulders protectively, and the Boy Wonder had tucked himself up against the redhead, his hand fisted in Wally's shirt. _It is actually quite—what's the word—adorable._


	44. Testing

**_***This is a continuity of the last chapter, _****Adorable._***_**

**_~YJ~_**

**044. Testing**

**Rated: K+  
><strong>

**_~YJ~_**

"Am I the _only_ person who finds it strange that _no one _knows the real names of Batman _or _Robin?" said Artemis out of the blue, breaking the silence.

Her gaze swung over her teammates before settling on the sleeping Boy Wonder. Even asleep, the sunglasses remained to shield his face from observation; she had the funny feeling that if someone tried to take them off, he'd wake up instantly and a pour unfortunate soul would receive a fist to the face.

Kaldur shrugged half-heartedly, not even looking up from the sorcery book in his hands. Truly, at first, he had wondered about this matter himself, but he had decided that if Batman had forbidden Robin from revealing his name, the Dark Knight must've had a good reason. Connor, blue eyes fixed to the blank TV screen, was suddenly lost in thought, consumed by the proposed topic.

Megan, who was perched on the couch next to the clone, tilted her head and said thoughtfully, "I suppose it _would _be strange, if it weren't Batman and Robin. The rest of you share your names and such, but they seem especially secretive compared to the rest of the Justice League."

Artemis nodded impatiently. She was sitting on the opposite end of the couch, far enough away from the others to sit cross-legged, polishing and doing maintenance on her bow.

"Has it ever dawned on you that maybe they're so secretive because they're hiding something big? They could be traitors to the Justice League; they could be from the League of Shadows for all we know. They're good-enough fighters."

This was met with silence as the team mulled it over. It _was _true that the Caped Crusaders were arguably the best hand-to-hand fighters in the Justice League, and it was _also _true that only the other original Leaguers knew their identities. A pair of undercover Shadows assassins—it wasn't entirely implausible, or impossible. With all their gadgets and training, who knew what kind of people they were behind the masks? They could be just about anyone; hell, the team could pass them on the street everyday and have no clue it's them. Artemis attended one of Gotham's most elite private schools, and as Robin _was _a kid genius, it was more than likely he was a student there, just like her. He could very well be in one of her classes, and she would never know.

Connor was the first to speak up. "She has a point."

Megan nodded, and said, "I wish they trusted us enough to tell us their names, at least."

Kaldur, having long ago abandoned his book, looked at his teammates. "I'm sure they have a good reason for not revealing their identities to us."

"I dunno. I bet we could guess." A new voice entered the tête-à-tête.

Four sets of eyes—silver, auburn, ice blue, and dark grey—turned to look at the speedster. Robin was still curled up against Wally, and the conversation didn't appear to have woken him. Wally smirked.

"I mean, think about it. Robin's smart, athletic, an acrobat; he's probably an escaped government super soldier. He was on the run from the mad scientists that created him, ended up in Gotham, and the Batman found him. The Bat saw his potential and made him Robin."

Artemis snorted. "Unlikely," the blonde archer stated. "If he was a government super soldier, they would have given him powers."

Wally shrugged, and tried again. "He's from Gotham, so maybe he was on the run from a Mob boss, or maybe Batman _is _a Mob boss! He's certainly scary enough, and that would explain how they can afford all those gadgets. I mean, there can't be many people in Gotham who can afford all that stuff."

Connor rolled his eyes and snorted. "The Batman's scary, but I can't see him as a Mob boss."

Sure, the Bat was dark, brooding, could paralyze a man with a look, and had more gadgets than James Bond ever dreamed of, and sure, he was the most feared man in the League, infamous for dangling thugs and criminals over the side of buildings to get answers, but he wasn't a murderer…as far as Connor knew. Besides, from what Robin told them, Batman hated working with anyone besides his protégé.

Kaldur agreed with Connor. Surely, _someone _in the League knew the man behind the cowl, and he or she wouldn't just stand by and let Batman walk free if he was involved in anything more illegal than his vigilante activities. Naturally, the Atlantean was as curious about Robin's identity as the other teens were, but somehow, talking about it like this, even with the Boy Wonder in the room, felt wrong, like they were going behind his back. Kaldur decided to stop this before it went any farther, Robin woke up, or Wally concocted another ridiculous, improbable backstory for the young acrobat.

"While we may not like it, I am certain that they have their reasons for being so secretive, and we should not pry," he said. He noticed Robin shift against the speedster, the corner of his mouth lifting up in a smirk; the dark-skinned teen suspected that Robin had been awake since the beginning. _He was testing us. He wanted to see how far we would go before someone ended it._


	45. Wedding Day

**_~YJ~_**

**045. Wedding Day**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

She stood in front of a tall mirror, itching to get down the aisle. Her long flaxen hair was pulled up away from her neck, braided in a crown around her head, with two chunks of hair falling to her chin on either side of her face, framing the face of the young woman about to be married to the man she loved.

"_Who's the prettiest girl in the dressing room…the prettiest girl in the dressing room…"_ A young woman came in holding two bouquets in her hands, one consisting of white and black roses and the other having small red and purple flowers interspersed with the white instead of the midnight black of the bride's.

"Hello, bride-to-be!" the woman chimed, red hair falling to her shoulders in graceful waves, a single strand of stubborn hair falling onto her cheek. Her emerald green eyes danced with excitement. Who knew? Maybe she would be in her best friend's place someday soon…hopefully. The bride laughed, stepping down from the pedestal.

"Thanks." She took the flowers from her maid of honor. "You nervous?" "No." She shook her head. She wasn't nervous, not really; she was more excited than anything else.

She felt wonderful; her dress was simple and elegant, pleasing a woman that had always preferred jeans and boots and jackets. The silk clung to her curves and dropped off her hips—effectively hiding the hunting knife strapped to her thigh—and it was cool against her skin. It shimmered like moonlight, silver and beautiful, and had a neckline that complimented her chest nicely without completely ticking off her brother and uncle—of course, they'd still have preferred it to be higher and showing less cleavage, but it was _her _wedding. Around her neck was a thin silver chain with a black, teardrop-shaped diamond resting just above her cleavage. Matching earrings hung from her ears, glittering and sparkling. Her engagement ring, with both traditional and black diamonds winking up at her, caught the light and she looked down at it with a smile.

"Hello?" Her uncle's voice came through the door before he did. "Ready darlin'?" "Of course!"

Barbara flounced by Oliver in her bright blue, spaghetti-strap, backless dress. He looked after her with protective annoyance and she smiled at him knowingly, loving the fact that he hated the fact she was showing more skin than he would've liked, before disappearing around the corner.

"Well," he cracked his knuckles and offered her his arm, "let's not keep your groom waiting, eh?" Artemis shook her head, lowering the sheer veil over her face.

"No, we shall not."

A gentle breeze blew through, reminding everyone in attendance that it was autumn, and the sun came down gently. The sky wasn't cloudless, but it wasn't overcast. The air was laden with the scents of fresh-cut grass, flowers, and strangely enough, the smell of musty old books. Overall, the weather was perfect. Rows of folding chairs had been set up on the terrace, divided down the middle by the aisle, and everyone who had been invited and RSVP's was present. The groom's parents were seated in the front on one side; his mother fingering a handkerchief that would no doubt be soaked in tears as soon as the procession began, and his father sitting tall and proud next to her, his arm around his wife.

Sitting next to them was Dinah, with her blonde hair pulled into a graceful ponytail, looked beautiful in a black sheath dress while not outdoing the bride. Oliver, dashing in his tux, dipped quickly and kissed her on the cheek as the bride swept past and a tear leaked out of the older woman's eye. Her mother, black hair styled and pinned back and dressed in a traditional Vietnamese dress, was grinning widely, her eyes shining with unshed tears; she and Dinah were holding hands tightly, both women incredibly proud. Roy winked at her and smirked; in a while, she really would be his sister, and wasn't that a scary thought.

Everyone was smiling at the passing bride, but her eyes were trained on the handsome young man waiting for her at the altar, staring in awe, wide-eyed, at his bride. "Hey, relax; you have plenty of time to get up there," Oliver chided softly. She giggled and, finally, they were at the altar.

"Who gives this young woman away?" "Her mother and I do," Ollie replied, glancing at Artemis's mother. The woman was blowing her nose in the front row, bloodshot eyes shining with happy tears.

"Thanks Ollie," she said softly in his ear, hugging him for the last time as an unmarried woman. "No problem darlin'," he replied, placing a light kiss on her cheek and returning the hug, breathing in the scents of his niece's hair (oranges and lilacs), before taking his seat.

Next to her soon-to-be husband, Dick grinned broadly, blue eyes laughing, and beside her, Barbara reflected the expression. Her bride's maids—M'gann, Jade, Raven, and Kara—were all looking quite beautiful, but the bride herself outdid them all.

Finally, _it_ came up. "If anyone has a reason why these two shall not be wed, speak now or forever hold your-" "Get on with it!" the bride and groom stated with twin smiles. The priest chuckled along with several other guests. Impatient 'till the very end, both of them. "Alright..."

The vows were said and the rings exchanged, and finally came the moment she had dreamed of since she was a little girl. "Do you, Wallace West, take Artemis Crock to be your lawfully wedded wife as long as you both shall live, in sickness and in health; richer or poor till death do you part?"

"I do," Wally's eyes shone cheerfully, despite the irritation about his full name.

"And do you, Artemis Crock, take Wallace West to be your happily wedded husband, as long as you both shall live, in sickness and in health; richer or poor till death do you part?"

Artemis smiled. "I do."

"You may kiss the bride."


	46. The Alphabet

**_~YJ~_**

**046. The Alphabet**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

**_A_**** is for _Acrobat_**

It always amazed Wally how Robin could ace the flips, spins, cartwheels, and spirals with so little effort; the way his body moved with grace and skill was incredible. He never understood how a ten-year-old boy could achieve such acrobatic stunts when he knew that if _he _tried it, he would just wind up face planting on the gym mats.

**_B _****is for _Badass_**

"So whaddya think?"

"Props for getting a tattoo, but Batman's gonna kill you. We'll see how badass you feel when he finds out."

**_C _****is for _Constant_**

Robin had yet to understand that the only reason he constantly lost at poker was that his sunglasses were excellent mirrors.

**_D _****is for _Dog_**

"Can we keep him?"

Bruce Wayne looked at his adopted son, then at the squirming little charcoal bundle in his arms. Pointy, floppy ears; large, sparkly silver eyes gazing up at him; a shiny, wet black nose and a lolling pink tongue; from the size of his paws, the puppy was going to be huge. Bruce was on the verge of saying no when he made the mistake of looking back at Dick.

_Dammit._

**_E _****is for _Endless_**

_"I'm Henry the Eighth, I am,_

_Henry the Eighth, I am, I am!_

_I got married to the widow next door,_

_She'd been married seven times before,_

_And every one was a Henry._

_She wouldn't have a Willie or Sam._

_I'm her eighth old man named Henry._

_Henry the Eighth, I am!"_

"Oh my God, does this song ever just END?"

**_F _****is for _Famous_**

M'gann was so excited she could barely contain it, because they were going to be guarding a real, live celebrity; it was hard to believe that the boy standing in front of them was actually Richard Grayson, _the _Richard Grayson! She'd read about him in her magazines—the adopted son of one of Gotham's wealthiest bachelors, a child genius and a gifted athlete, he was the Golden Boy of Gotham.

And _she _got to spend an entire _weekend _with him!

**_G_**** is for _Gifted_**

When he was five months old, he said his first word: "Mine." He started walking when he was six months. He was using short sentences by eight months, and was saying, "hi," "bye," and "please" without reminders by month nine. The specialists his parents took him to were baffled; they'd never seen anyone like him before. He was reading when he was two years old.

Wally had always been considered gifted—it hadn't been until first grade that he'd realized he needed to hide it, and by then it was too late—but it wasn't until he recreated the lab accident and gained super speed that he truly considered _himself _gifted.

**_H_**** is for _Happiness_**

Ask Wally what happiness is, and he would probably say something like 'knowing the world and your family are both safe'. Ask Robin and he'll point to Wally, because that's exactly what the redhead seems to personify.

**_I_**** is for _Ice_**

No one had noticed Robin creeping up behind Wally, and no one had noticed him slip an ice cube down the back of the redhead's shirt—well, except for Wally, of course—so everyone was awfully surprised when a very girly shriek shattered the silence, followed by hysterical laughter.

**_J_**** is for _Joker_**

Wally always wondered what exactly made the Joker so scary; joy buzzers, squirting flowers, guns that shoot out sticks with a _BANG _banner—lame, lame, _lame_! A man wearing a purple suit just wasn't scary, so why would Batman be so fixated on a nut job in vivid Armani who fell in a tank of acid, got his skin bleached and dyed his hair green, and decided to become a supervillain—what? Couldn't he get a job as a rodeo clown?

**_K_**** is for _Kiss_**

It was light, chaste, and unsure; a pair of lips pressed softly against his. It was questioning, inexperienced, gentle. Her hands slid around his neck; one of his wrapped around her waist, the other sliding up her back and pulling her closer. It wasn't open-mouthed—no tongue involved—and it was exactly what a first kiss what supposed to be—naïve and curious.

**_L_**** is for _Late Nights_**

Forget overspending at the mall, exceeding cell phone minutes, and staying out past curfew; his daughter spent her after school hours running around in a cape and a cowl, beating on thugs and gang members into the wee hours of the morning.

**_M_**** is for _Museum_**

There was only one place where Roy's dusty old car deserved to be, and it was certainly not the apartment complex garage.

**_N_**** is for _Nutty_**

You know you've officially gone nutty when you find yourself always having to apologize to your next-door neighbor for setting fire to his lawn gnomes. However, Roy _had _warned the guy that putting lawn gnomes in the hallway was just begging for trouble.

**_O_**** is for _Opal_**

Personally, Robin thought the grapefruit-sized jewel was quite pretty—sparkly, faceted, and streaked with pretty jade and bronze—but really, did Catwoman _have _to choose today of all days to rob a jewelry store?

**_P_**** is for _Pain_**

Bruce had learned the hard way not to put his fingers in the lasagna before Alfred had finished, his fingers bruised and sore.

**_Q_**** is for _Quartet_**

It had started with the original four sidekicks, and no matter how many young heroes there came to be, it would always come back to the quartet that started it all.

**_R_**** is for _Rose_**

It was hard to imagine that the ex-assassin with the long white hair and the deadly swords had such an innocent-sounding name, but every rose has its thorns; her thorns just happened to be metal, numerous, and lethal in nature and purpose.

**_S_**** is for _Shirt_**

It was two times too big and it was the most hideous shades of green and yellow, but Robin almost felt guilty every time he thought about burning the damned shirt.

**_T _****is for _Threat_**

"If you dare hurt him, I swear I will hurt you so badly you'll wake up breathing through a tube."

Wally found out the hard way that Batgirl was protective of Robin—by her hanging him over the edge of a thirty-story building by his ankle, and he had no doubt that she would go through with her threat, because it wasn't just a threat—it was a promise.

**_U_**** is for _Universal_**

Despite all the differences between cultures, species, and worlds, there is one thing that is simply universal; the potty dance was one of those things. Therefore, when J'onn was stuck babysitting an eight-year-old Robin in the Watchtower and the little boy had to go to the bathroom, at least he wasn't completely lost.

**_V_**** is for _Victim_**

He swore it would never happen again. He would never be at someone else's mercy, never let anyone else take control of his life. He would never be a victim, never again. Not after what happened to his parents. He couldn't do anything about it back then, when he was only Dick Grayson, but now…now he was Robin, and he most certainly could.

**_W_**** is for _Walk_**

When her secrets were revealed and with nothing else to do and nothing left to say, Artemis turned around and started walking, leaving behind the only friends she'd ever been fortunate enough to consider family.

**_X_**** is for _X Gene_**

_"Mutation: it is the key to our evolution. It has enabled us to evolve from a single-celled organism into the dominant species on Earth. This process is slow and normally takes thousands and thousands of years. But every few hundred millennia, evolution leaps forward."_

"This guy is nuts. He has no idea what he's talking about!"

"Says the guy who can break the sound barrier in his sneakers."

"That's…entirely not the point!"

**_Y_**** is for _Yakuza_**

_Huff…huff…huff…_

…"I think they've given up."

"And what have we learned from this, Roy-boy?"

…"In my defense, I didn't know her father was a yakuza boss."

**_Z_**** is for _Zebra_**

The two boys stood at the fence, staring into the zebra enclosure. Ten or so of the beasts were grazing in the pasture, oblivious of the camera flashes.

"I wonder how fast they would have to run before they looked grey," Wally mused idly, shoving his hands in the pockets of his Flash jacket.

"Pretty damn fast," Dick stated knowingly before popping a nacho chip in his mouth. He tugged on his best friend's arm, pulling him away from the zebra herd. "C'mon, I want to see the tigers before the zoo closes!"

_**~YJ~**_

**I like most of these, but some of them aren't my best work. Oh well. Tell me what you think, as always.**


	47. Standing Still

**_~YJ~_**

**047. Standing Still**

**Rated: K**

**_~YJ~_**

Roy Harper unlocked the door and walked into his apartment, dead tired after a long day working as Arsenal. He trudged inside and tossed his keys on the kitchen counter with a _clank. _He paid the babysitter—though he wasn't sure if Artemis counted as a babysitter—and told her to lock the door behind her. Leaning against the doorway, he gazed down at his little girl, totally conked out on the couch, a smile on his face. Setting his bow and quiver down on the table, he bent down and scooped her up into his arms. She made a soft noise in her sleep and shifted, pressing her face against his chest.

Her kindergarten teacher once asked him for proof of ID and a picture of him and his daughter together before she would even consider releasing Lian into his care. It was understandable; the only resemblance between father and daughter were their eyes—a deep, dark blue. Her hair was silky black, her skin a shade darker than his was, and her eyes were slanted, revealing her mother's heritage. She was a beautiful little girl, that was sure, and she was his world.

**She loved drawing, flowers, stairs, jump rope, and dogs; she kept begging him for a puppy—mutts were her favorite.**

Time and time again, he told her no, they couldn't afford to take care of a puppy, and the landlord hated dogs anyway. He didn't tell her that he'd already spoken to the landlord—who happened to have a soft spot for little Lian—and he was planning to take her down to the shelter and let her pick a puppy as a Christmas present.

**She loved hot chocolate with big marshmallows and whipped cream—she got it every time they went to IHop—and her favorite food was spaghetti.**

He made it every Friday, and those were the days Ollie came to visit, bringing a gift for Lian and a new story to tell his "favorite baby girl." It was fun, usually; the three of them would watch a movie and, after she'd gone to sleep, the two men would talk as they cleaned up from dinner.

**She liked milk and cookies—her favorites were chocolate chip—and she liked rocky road ice cream.**

On Saturdays, if she'd been good during the week, he would take her to the Baskin Robins next to Target ten minutes from the apartment. He'd buy her a double scoop of the chocolate, nuts, and marshmallow treat, and they would sit at a table near the windows and laugh at the people walking past. She would chatter around a mouthful of ice cream, telling him cheerfully about her week at school, and he would tell her stories about the famed Justice League (nothing too scary or emotionally scarring, of course).

**Her favorite colors were yellow and blue, and she loved wearing jeans and sandals. She was a tomboy; she liked climbing the tree at the park two blocks away and playing with other kids.**

He would take her down there twice a week after school, and sit on a bench in the shade while he watched her run around and laugh with the other kids. If it was a particularly warm day, he would buy them both ice creams from the truck; he would get a Fudgcicle and she would get a Bugs Bunny or a Tweety. He made it a tradition to push her on the swings before they left; she would shriek and giggle as he pushed her higher and higher.

**She liked reading, and she especially loved it when _he_ read to her.**

Sometimes he would sit in her bed, back against the light blue headboard, and Lian would sit in his lap with a book she'd picked, and he would read it to her. Sometimes _she _would read to _him, _and he would help her on words she didn't know or didn't remember. She was particularly fond of _The Persian Cinderella; _he'd long lost count of how many times she climbed onto the bed with that book in her hands.

In that moment, with his little girl in his arms,** time stood still.**


	48. Family

**_~YJ~_**

**048. Family**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

**_"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." –Dr. Seuss_**

A million things make the team **different**. The shades of their **skin**, ranging from Robin's paleness to Kaldur at the other end of the spectrum. Their **eye** colors—Connor's **arctic blue**, Wally's **emerald green**, Kaldur's **moonstone silver**, Artemis's **steely grey**, M'gann's **chestnut brown**. The colors of their **hair**—Kaldur's hair was **pale** compared to Artemis's **brighter** **blonde**, Megan's was a **darker** **auburn** than Wally's **flaming red**. Their **statures**, **body types**, **personalities**, and **lives** outside the mountain.

But if there was one thing the Young Justice team had in common, it was family issues.

**M'gann's** family was back on Mars; sometimes she would stare up at the night sky and search the stars for her home planet. She would stare at it and truly feel the homesickness. The only person on the planet who knew the truth was her uncle J'onn, and she didn't see him nearly as often as she would like. She would never tell anyone, but she was absolutely terrified that one day, the others would learn the horrible truth behind the forever chipper, always cheerful M'gann M'orzz, and when they knew, they wouldn't want her around anymore. They'd realize what a monster she was, and they wouldn't want something like that on the team. Once they found out she was a _White _Martian, she would have to leave.

**M'gann was the supportive—if a little odd—_sister _whom one could always depend on to be there. She wouldn't always understand, but she would listen and she would try her best to help. She wouldn't pry and she wouldn't try to push, and she accepted everyone unless they hurt her friends. She saw the good in everything, but she knew about the dark side of life; she'd seen it up close and personal.**

**Robin** still had nightmares about the night his parents died. He would wake up screaming, drenched in sweat and the images of their broken bodies seared into his retinas. He'd never been back to Haley's Circus, and he didn't know if he would ever be able to return. Now he had _Batman _for a dad, Alfred was the grandfather he'd never had, and then there were his siblings…It's not that he didn't love his brothers and sisters to bits, but sometimes he wanted to lock them all in a room and let them kill each other. He missed his parents terribly, and their deaths had left a gaping hole in his heart that would never heal, but he couldn't have chosen a better new family.

**Robin was the mischievous _little brother _whom everyone loved-unconditionally-but-sometimes-wanted-to-strange-with-his-own-utility-belt. He could go from adorable and playful to evil in seconds, and he wasn't afraid to manipulate people. He was the most experienced and had been a sidekick the longest, but that didn't stop him from acting like a little kid on occasion. But he was always there when you needed him, and he was protective of his surrogate siblings (just ask the guy who tried to trick M'gann into sleeping with him; he still isn't out of the hospital).**

**Wally** had a history of childhood trauma, sprouting from how poorly his parents had acted. He didn't know how many nights he'd spent all by himself because his father was too busy sucking up to his boss and his mother was hiding out at a friend's house. He didn't know how many nights he'd spent crammed into the smallest space he could find, holding his breath and praying to anyone who would listen that his father wouldn't find him. So many nights he'd hidden in his closet or in a cabinet, wishing that his father would pass out or lose interest before he found his son. He'd seen the fake smile on his mother's face, the one that said, 'Yes, we're completely normal and happy. Move on, nothing to see here.' He'd smelled the alcohol on his breath, felt the sharp sting of harsh words and thrown glasses, and he'd heard his mother crying when she thought no one was watching. He'd lost count of the days, but it didn't matter; he'd written them in Sharpie on the inside of his closet.

**Wally was the annoying _brother _you occasionally wished would drop off the face of the earth, but then you would feel bad about thinking that way. Then he'd steal your dessert—yes, the one you were really looking forward to—and you'd forget you ever felt bad and proceed to try and kill him. Or is that just Artemis? But he was there when it mattered and even though he could be a total pain in the ass, he was one of those people you just couldn't help but love.**

**Kaldur's** father was a supervillain; he never knew his father and he suspected that he never would, not unless Black Manta decides to start sharing. The only family he had ever known was that of the Atlantean royal family. King Orin and Queen Mera and Prince Orm, they had been his family, and eventually, Garth and Tula managed to wheedle their way in as well. Garth had been his best friend since before he'd entered the Conservatory, and Tula had danced into his life, lighting it up with her laughter and smile, and her glittering eyes. When the king offered him the position as his sidekick, he jumped at the chance. He remembered when he'd first met Kid Flash and Robin; the two younger boys had been so excited to finally meet another sidekick, and he'd known then that he would never get rid of them.

**Kaldur was the calm, soft spoken, clear-headed _big brother _whom always tried to see the good in people. He trusted Raven without a second thought, not caring if she was half-demon. He was the voice of reason and the guiding and firm hand that kept them together. He was the intelligent one the others could go to without being laughed at or judged, and he wouldn't try to hold anything over you in exchange for favors at a later date.**

No one quite knew **Artemis's** background, only that anyone who asked got the cold shoulder and a splendid black eye. But _she_ knew. She knew the truth and she could never allow herself to forget who she was—the daughter of a murderer. _She _was a murderer. She'd killed people; she could still see their faces when she closed her eyes. She remembered the names of everyone she'd murdered, and it was a sin she would have to live with for the rest of her life. Her father had trained her since birth to be an assassin, and no matter how far she ran or how long she hid, that training would always be a part of her. She would _always _be his daughter, and even though she'd moved on and joined the YJ, she would always—_always—_be the Tigress.

**Artemis was the moody _sister _whom would either laugh at a joke or kick you into a wall, depending on how her day went. She was the practical one, the one who would do what she needed to in order to survive. She was the sister who was last on your list of who to call if ever stuck in jail, because she would come down to the station, laugh at you, and tell you to call her when you got yourself out. She was a big believer in tough love, but she did love them and would do anything for them.**

**Connor's** issues were obvious; teenage clone of the Big Blue Boy Scout himself. Connor wanted a relationship with him—_needed _a relationship. He wanted to hear about how great Krypton had been back in its day; he wanted to hear about Superman's battles and triumphs from the man himself. He wanted to learn about this Supergirl; the only information he got from Robin was that she was Superman's cousin, kickass, drop-dead gorgeous, and currently MIA. And who was Galatea? When Wally mentioned her once in passing, his face flushed and he clammed up, as if he'd said something out of line, and no one else would tell him anything other than that she was trouble, pure and simple. Why wouldn't Superman acknowledge him, even if just in passing? Was his existence really so horrible that the great Superman wouldn't bother to help train him? There was only so much that Black Canary could teach him.

**Connor was the brooding, angry _big brother _whom never quite knew how to react. He was loyal to his friends and he would stand by them without a second thought he would never doubt them and he would never betray them. Even though he was chronologically the youngest, he wouldn't hesitate to stand up and defend whom he considered his family.**

Each member might have a screwed up family life, but at least they were screwed up together.**  
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_~**YJ~**_

**I am so, so sorry this took so long! It's been a while since I've watched _Young Justice, _so I had to go back and re-watch episodes to get them fresh in my mind. Also, I _may have _gotten addicted to a new anime, _Ouran High School Host Club… _Don't blame me! Blame Funimation, which has all the subbed episodes on YouTube…just a click away…**

**Anyway, I'm _baaaaaack_! I hope you like this one, took me a while to write because of school, writer's block, and all that jazz. Read, Review, Favorite, add TJP to your alerts! PLEASE! I love reviews; reviews keep me going, like chocolate and caffeine!**

**Oh, and go read Skylark Evanson's stories; she is an a-ma-zing writer and her YJ stories are to die for! Speaking of great writers, also, go read Illucida's "What Is and What Could Be." It's a collection of one-shots, much like this, and by an awesome author; her other Young Justice fics are great too. So: GO. READ. THEM. NOW! (Shameless promotion)**

**-Nagi**


	49. Kiss

**_~YJ~_**

**049. Kiss**

**Rated: K+  
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**_~YJ~_**

A first kiss is supposed to special. There have been countless poems, songs, and stories revolving around a person's first kiss. They say you never forget it, that it's supposed to be memorable. It's romantic and sweet, and the world is supposed to stop and the puzzle pieces of life click into place.

Apparently, no one told the Young Justice team any of the above.

Wally's first kiss was with a girl named Laura Fells from his seventh grade science class—a pretty girl with mink-brown hair, a button nose, and blue-green eyes—in the empty classroom during lunch. It was on a dare and didn't mean anything; it wasn't anything special, just a simple kiss. They never talked to each other again, and in the ninth grade, Laura moved to Arizona; Wally didn't even notice, because by then he'd set his sights on any girl willing to go out with him and she'd long past slipped out of his radar.

For Artemis, it was Mitch Evans in the girls' locker room when she was fourteen. It didn't mean anything either; they did it just to do it. The kiss was wet, sloppy, and not at all pleasant; his teeth clacked against hers, and their noses bumped together. She nailed him in the balls when he tried to grope her, and she was suspended for three days on assault. After that, whenever they saw each other, he would get a pained look on his face and hurry away, and she knew she'd left a permanent impression.

Connor's first kiss was M'gann, and likewise for her. Everyone saw that one coming, and it wasn't a surprise for anyone when it happened. It was totally unremarkable; they couldn't even say it happened somewhere romantic. It happened in the middle of a fight; M'gann was thrown off the monster they were attempting to subdue, Superboy caught her before she hit the wall, and when she turned to thank him, their lips met because their faces were closer that she'd thought. It lasted for mere seconds before M'gann pulled back, muttered a "nice save," and flew back into the battle, face bright red.

Dick was eleven when he and Barbara kissed. At the time, she didn't know he was Robin and he didn't know that she was Batgirl, because back then, she wasn't an official member, just a freelance vigilante running around Gotham and taunting him. They were just Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon, adopted son of Bruce Wayne and daughter of police Commissioner Jim Gordon, best friends and classmates. They were watching a movie at the Manor and when, on-screen, a couple had locked lips, curiosity was sparked. Neither of them realized the significance or the meaning of kissing—if they did, they pretended they didn't. When Bruce and Alfred walked into the room, the butler took a picture and the billionaire had a heart attack.

Interestingly enough, Kaldur's first kiss was with Garth of all people. A simple spell went very wrong, and instead of holding a statue still in the water, it propelled the two of them together. It took Mera ten minutes to separate them, and for the entire time, they were connected at the lips. It ended with both boys red in the face and struggling to find words, and they couldn't look each other in the eyes for a week. Tula had been kind enough not to joke about it, though their other classmates were not nearly as considerate, and it was only after Kaldur became Aqualad that the jokes stopped.

Well, they certainly weren't romantic, but some of them were definitely memorable.


	50. Out To Lunch

**_~YJ~_**

**050. Out To Lunch**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

The dark grey clouds blocked out the rays of the sun, and rain pounded down from silver skies, battering the city below. It slashed sideways against windows, forming rivulets that trickled down the glass. Water pooled in ditches and cracks in stone walkways, turning the streets hazardous and slippery. Big fat raindrops hit his head the moment he stepped out of the shelter of the city bus. He didn't mind the rain, and he highly doubted she would care, but he _did _wish the bus stopped closer to the café. As much as he liked the rain, he didn't want to walk two blocks in it.

When he finally pushed open the metal and glass door, the irritable tinkling of bells announced his entry, and a few of the patrons turned to glare. He was dripping water on the WELCOME mat, which ironically read "OH SHIT NOT YOU AGAIN," and it didn't take long for his eyes to adjust to the muted lighting of the café. It was a nice place, quiet and relaxing; music played softly in the background, and it was cozy without being stuffy. He scanned the interior for his friend; there were small tables with four chairs each, and but most of the occupied tables had two to three people. Spotting her was easy—her hair was a dead giveaway—and he made his way over to her table in the corner. She was engrossed in a book and didn't react when he tapped her on the shoulder.

Kaldur took the seat in front of her, examining her when she didn't acknowledge him. Raven looked tired, like she hadn't slept in a few days, and her ruler-straight hair was tucked behind one ear. A stack of books was on the table; an empty cup sat in front of her, the last remnants of the tea leaves sitting at the bottom. Her T-shirt had a grey arrow on the front with the words MY FACE IS UP HERE written on her chest; he knew she was wearing jeans and boots, and there was a lump in her right pocket where she kept her cell phone.

On her left wrist was a polished grey cuff with two tiny rectangles: one green, brightly lit, and one red, dim. He knew that if she tried to remove the cuff, the light would turn red and she'd be injected with enough watts of electricity to knock out an elephant. The Justice League was paranoid that she would go demon on them and kick their asses two ways to Sunday and that cuff was their way of ensuring she behaved herself. She must have finished the page because she closed it and set it down.

Mauve eyes, the same as her hair, met his across the table.

"Hello Kaldur."

Her voice was deadpan as always and her expression didn't change. She hadn't told him exactly why she was so emotionless, but he inferred that it had something to do with her father, so he didn't ask. He picked up the novel she'd stopped reading—he couldn't understand the writing, but that didn't bother him. He knew that she spoke and understood several languages that he did not—still, it always made him feel better that she didn't understand Atlantean.

"Hello Raven."

Their conversations were always coldly polite, as if neither wanted to admit that over the course of the past few weeks they'd somehow become friends. Kaldur knew Aquaman didn't approve of his visiting Raven; like the rest of the League, King Orin distrusted her and believed her to be a risk. When Kaldur had asked her directly if she was a threat to the Justice League, she had snorted and told him, _"Just to their egos."_

A tomboyish-looking girl with blonde hair and hiking boots stopped by their table. Her name tag was blurred, like she'd spilled water on it, but he knew it started with a "T" and ended with an "A." She looked bored when she said, "Can I get you anything?"

They ordered lunch—a slice of pizza and a Coke for Raven, ham and cheese on sourdough and ice water for Kaldur—and the girl left. While they waited for their lunches, they talked. They talked about different spells they'd been trying, about Young Justice's latest activities, about what books Raven had been reading. They always talked—sometimes he would even get her to smile. He wondered, sometimes, if she really was a danger to the world; the Justice League would need a good reason to treat her like a terrorist, wouldn't they? Something about her must have lit up their radars like Christmas, or they wouldn't have slapped a tracking bracelet on her and given her a concrete curfew.

Whatever had made them doubt her like this, he couldn't see it. All he could see was a teenage girl with purple hair and eyes, skin the color of ash, and an attitude so bad even the DM caught it on camera. She was strange, quiet, serious, and sarcastic. From what he could tell, she always had a witty remark ready to fire at will. She liked creepy places and depressing cafes, herbal teas, horror movies, reading and meditating. He knew she hated chickens, anyone who dared go into her bedroom, and being played for a fool, and he doubted the League were on her good side. Any attempt at talking about her family resulted in receiving sub-zero silence and a glare that could crack Batman's armor.

He truly did enjoy her company; she was levelheaded, practical, well educated, and she didn't see the world in black and white—she saw all the shades of grey. She was sensible, something his team was lacking for the most part, and best of all, she was easy to talk to; she didn't judge, she saw both sides of a debate equally and she didn't fudge the facts to make her argument correct, and she was a good listener. It was strange, being with her; he'd never met a surface-dweller quite like Raven Roth.

Sometimes she scared him, sometimes he wondered if being friends with her was dangerous, and sometimes he really saw how alien she could be, despite appearances. She looked human, albeit with unusual coloring, but he couldn't forget that she was also something else, something much darker, much deadlier, and much more ancient than Kryptonian, Atlantean, or Martian, or anything else he'd ever faced. She was something old and something new, and she was the most powerful metahuman known to the League; she was also only sixteen. He didn't want to admit that the Justice League was right and he had been wrong. Every instinct told him she was an ally he could trust to the very end.

While they sat at the table in a Manhattan café, eating lunch and talking like two regular teenagers, he shoved any doubts to the back of his mind and let himself pretend that he was just another guy, maybe even on a date with a pretty girl.

**_~YJ~_**

**As the amazing Doctor says, "Fantastic!"**

**YAY! We've reached the halfway point! I can't believe I've made it this far, and I'm so happy that I've received so much support. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me so far, anyone who's bothered to actually _read _this far, and everyone who's taken the time to review! And special thanks to ReginaCaelum, Phoenix'sSoul, AmaraRae, sakuracherish814, and Illucida for all the reviews and support (I was looking back on the reviews I've gotten for this collection, and I realized every other entry was one of the above)!**

**As always, reviews make the world go 'round! Point out any mistakes I might have made, any inconsistencies and the like, and feel free to give me any advice or suggestions! If there's anything you'd like to see more of, just let me know! I already have requests for more WallyxArtemis fluff, Jade finding out she's pregnant, and more of Raven.**

**A'ight, just 50 more to go!**

**Here's a sneak peek at the next chap:**

_The night was humid and sticky, the stars concealed by a layer of gloomy clouds. The wet ground sucked at his sneakers and his T-shirt stuck to his arms. The smell of rotting plants and mud was overpowering, and more than once he had to cover his mouth to stop what little he'd eaten from making a reappearance. The cacophony of the jungle was all around them, the shrieks of the monkeys and the medley of birds, and the numerous other animals in the brush. Up ahead, within his sights, was the gate. Past that was freedom._

_Roy knew without looking that his companion was right behind him; he could feel the ninja's presence. He knelt into a position often seen at track meets, and got ready to sprint. Once they cleared that gate, they just had to make it to Rio. After that, they were home free. No way the Light could find them in a city if that size; two teens out of millions of people? Not a chance. If they made it to Rio alive, they would need to get some money and access to a phone, one way or another, so he could contact someone to come get them. They would finally be free of this nightmare, and that was what he ultimately wanted—freedom for him and Robin._


	51. Breakout

**_~YJ~_**

**051. Breakout**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

The night was humid and sticky, the stars concealed by a layer of gloomy clouds. The wet ground sucked at his sneakers and his T-shirt stuck to his arms. The smell of rotting plants and mud was overpowering, and more than once he had to cover his mouth to stop what little he'd eaten from making a reappearance. The cacophony of the jungle was all around them, the shrieks of the monkeys and the medley of birds, and the numerous other animals in the brush. Up ahead, within his sights, was the gate. Past that was freedom.

Roy knew without looking that his companion was right behind him; he could _feel _the ninja's presence. He knelt into a position often seen at track meets, and got ready to sprint. Once they cleared that gate, they just had to make it to Rio. After that, they were home free. No way the Light could find them in a city if that size; two teens out of millions of people? Not a chance. If they made it to Rio alive, they would need to get some money and access to a phone, one way or another, so he could contact someone to come get them. They would finally be free of this nightmare, and that was what he ultimately wanted—freedom for him and Robin.

Six months they'd been here, prisoners of the Light. They'd been on a recon assignment in Rio, something simple and easy, and it had only required the two of them. It was supposed to be in and out within a couple of hours, but they hadn't counted on the Light foreseeing their every move and planting an agent ready to attack. They'd been taken out in minutes, and it had gone downhill from there. Experiments, tests, being drugged and imprisoned. The Light seemed dead set on uncovering what made the two tick, and they ran them like dogs to figure it out. It had taken them months to make this escape possible, and they weren't going to fail. Not when freedom was so close.

He reached back without turning and held out an open hand. Almost immediately, a smaller one was grasping it like a lifeline. Roy held it and said in hushed tones, "We're almost there. Just a few yards left and then start climbing, okay? The gate is eleven feet tall, barbed wire at the top. Be careful, please."

Robin squeezed his hand tightly before letting go, as if he didn't want to drop the connection. "Gotcha," Robin whispered. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Roy grinned and nodded, knowing his partner couldn't see him. He could hear the alarm behind them, and beneath that, the sounds of the soldiers; thundering footsteps were getting closer by the second. It wouldn't be long before the guards were on top of them, and then this break out could easily turn into a bloodbath in seconds. It was _his _responsibility to get them both out in once piece; he was in charge for a reason. He had to protect Robin, and he _had _to get him out of this damned place.

"Okay, then let's go."

With those words, he shot off across the last stretch, legs pumping. Adrenaline rushed through his veins and he reveled in the fire; it was what gave him the power to make the escape. Swift footsteps just to his left told him that Robin was just behind him. The chain link fence was getting closer fast; he could see the thick, lush jungle beyond the border.

_Ten feet…eight feet…five feet…th—BANG! _

A familiar scream tore through the night, followed by a thump, and his heart stopped in his chest.

_Oh God, no. Please _no_!_

Whatever happened next passed in a blur—the soldiers surrounding him, the cuffs being slapped on his wrists, hands shoving him back towards the compound. He barely noticed any of it, as if it was happening to somebody else and he was merely watching. All he could see was Robin, crumpled on the ground, and then hanging limp over a soldier's shoulder, head lolling and eyes closed. All he could hear was the faint heartbeat telling him that at least Robin was still alive. All he could feel was guilt for not protecting him. Guilt for not freeing him from this hell.


	52. Emergency

**_~YJ~_**

**052. Emergency  
><strong>

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

Red Tornado knew from experience that six teenaged superheroes in one place equaled strange things happening on a regular basis. The one day they spent painting the rec room all different colors, the Grand Pillow War that broke out in the living room, and—God help them—the Battle of the Sexes that lasted two weeks; those were just a few examples of the chaos which had occurred.

However, when a red, black, and yellow blur barged into the mountain, he barely caught the computer announcing her entrance over her shrieking. The blur charged over to where M'gann was sitting in the kitchen and slammed her hands down, a dangerous glint in her pale blue eyes. She looked the Martian dead in the eye, and said, "I need help."

M'gann stared at Batgirl and asked, "Help with what?"

Batgirl plopped down in a free seat. "A problem. The V.P. at my school asked me out on a date, and he is _so _cute! We're going to see a movie tonight."

M'gann stared at Batgirl, thoroughly confused. She couldn't imagine why this was a problem for the Earth girl. If _she _was going on a date with the vice president at _her _school, she would be jumping up and down with glee. That's what she'd seen on TV—if someone popular asks you out on a date, it's supposed to be a big deal. And she assumed the vice president would have to be popular to get elected to that position; aren't school elections just popularity contests with another name?

"And _how _is that a problem? Because if you don't want to go out with him, I will," she said, an eyebrow rising in surprise.

Batgirl rolled her eyes, exasperation clear even with her mask concealing a fair amount of her face. "_That's _not my problem! My problem is that I don't know what to wear! We've been friends for years, and I don't want to screw up our friendship even if this works out, so the perfect outfit is essential."

M'gann's lips shaped an 'o' as realization hit her, then she grinned and stood up. "_Artemis!_"

The blonde archer dashed into the kitchen, obviously expecting to find something much different from a grinning M'gann and a depressed Batgirl, and so when she looked at the two girls, she didn't know quite how to react. Bemused, she stopped and glanced between them, the question written all over her face. M'gann hauled Batgirl to her feet and practically pranced over to her blonde teammate, pulling the female bat behind her.

"Batgirl needs help picking out an outfit for her _date_!"

**_~YJ~_**

**Yes, M'gann, that's _exactly _what school elections are: glorified popularity contests where the people who actually _know _what they're talking about and _want _to be—say—vice president lose out to the people whom everyone knows, even when THEY don't have a clue!**

**…no, I'm not bitter…much…**

**Sorry it's been so long, but 10th grade is a bitch, and I've been having a bit of a crisis with a friend who tried to kill herself…again. I swear, when I find out where she hid her blades, I'm going to toss 'em.**

**Also, did anyone else realize that Cartoon Network has finally started airing new episodes? Apparently, there's one coming up where Artemis and Robin have to work together as a team, and Superboy and M'gann are going to prison. Fun, fun!**

**As always, reviews make me happy, and a happy author updates more often. Suggestions and requests are welcome, and since I have 40+ more to go, I doubt I'll have a problem writing what y'all would like me to. I _do _have a list, but I'd much rather here what you want to read.**

**Now, if you'll be so kind as to excuse me, I have a razor blade to track down… *stalks off with an iron determination and a flashlight***


	53. Breaking The Rules

**My first lemon, so be nice, please! Also, if you don't want to read, don't read.**

**_~YJ~_**

**053. Breaking the Rules**

**Rated: M**

**_~YJ~_**

_Contrary to popular belief, Red Arrow and Cheshire's relationship was not complicated. Because, and it was just a simple fact, they didn't have one. It was the only thing they both agreed on._

Her lithe frame is an inky black shadow against the wall, as black as her reputation. She discards her grinning mask and the weapons hidden in her sleeves. There will be weapons being wielded tonight, but not of the poisoned dagger variety.

_What they had couldn't be called a relationship—that implied that there was more to it that just sex. Even 'lovers' was a bit of a stretch, though it was about as accurate as you could get. There sure as hell was nothing remotely 'romantic' going on between them; there was no cute, no cuddly, and definitely no sappy love lost between them. In fact, both of them would probably be better off if the other fell of the face of the planet never to resurface again._

She tilts her head back, giving him access to a slim neck. He devours her whole, teeth scraping over her skin as his free hand scrabbles violently at her shirt, popping buttons with each yank. It flutters to the ground, and he pulled roughly at her black lace bra. There's a snap and the lingerie hangs limply in front of her breasts.

_What happened when they got together couldn't be called 'making love' by any stretch of the imagination; it was all demanding kisses, rough hands, and desperation, anger, and desire. It was always a battle in itself, staring with a scuffle to see who got on top with a constant struggle to see who kept it. Teeth and hands turned into weapons as curses mixed with better sounds filled the room as they wrestled with each other in the steady melee to prove who was better, who was _stronger. _From the bed to the floor, and sometimes even the wall, they would fight._

Her chest heaves as he pins her against the wall, her breasts bouncing up and down, and nipples hardening under his skilled mouth. She shoves him hard, back through the doorway, and she advances after him like a wolf after its prey. She isn't going to just lay back and take it; that isn't who she is, and if he wants that, he'd better look for another lover. His eyes shine in the dim light of the bedroom, hungry and ferocious. With a kick from a long, slender leg, she sends him falling back onto the bed, creasing the crimson and black sheets. It's heaven falling asleep in that bed after sex, when she bothered to stay.

_If the Justice League or the League of Shadows found out about their arrangement, there would be hell to pay. He would lose their trust and gain a permanent place on their radar; the Shadows would send assassins after her, and wouldn't let up until she was a bloodstain. If Green Arrow found out about it, he would make Cheshire his pet project; hunt her down like a bunny in "wabbit season". They were a careful balance of business and pleasure, but sometimes they blurred the lines._

She climbs on top, slinking towards him like a jungle cat, her body screaming danger and seduction at the same time. Her slanted eyes glitter dangerously, promising pain and pleasure, and heaven and hell. He watches her, an eyebrow raised in expectation, as she settles herself on top of him, straddling him. Her hands artfully flick open the buttons of his pants, and she refuses to be distracted by the warm tongue sucking at her breasts.

_Sex with them is a competition: who can make who come first, who makes who cry out first, etc. They weren't in love, they were fucking for the pure reason that they needed to release some of that sexual tension._

He's fixated on her nipples, his callused and skilled hands dancing across her stomach and playing with the waistband of her panties. She won't be outdone; she slides her hand under his boxers and grips him hard enough that he gasps, nearly in pain. She smirks in victory; she can feel him growing harder by the second in her hand.

_She is in control, and that's what this is about: control. Here they aren't _just_ Red Arrow and Cheshire; they are also Roy Harper and Jade Nguyen, and it's all about who can control whom._

It has the desired effect; his lips are gone from alabaster breasts and he's cupping them in his hands, rolling them over and squeezing them. He's acknowledging her control, but he isn't giving in just yet. It's a never-ending battle between them, until the day one of them never shows because they're six feet under. She's moving her hand up and down, squeezing and stroking, pumping faster and faster. Her thumb brushes over his head slowly, teasingly; he moans, and she smirks again. She's so absorbed in making _him _moan that she doesn't realize until too late that he's gotten the jump on her; he flips her, and she lets out a small squeak when his weight falls on top of her, pushing her into the mattress.

_They push away the prejudice, battle lines, and their difference allegiances for this night, a night of passion and primal instinct and rage and lust._

She bites back a groan and shivers as he plunges into her without preamble, driving deeper with each stroke. She holds on to him, her sharp nails drawing thin lines of crimson blood down his shoulder blades and her hips moving with his. Her breasts ache with a need so deep she feels she may explode. He dipped his head and took one hardened nipple into his hot mouth, swirling his tongue and sucking. They move together, lighting a fire within each other that no other can kindle. The fire of his mouth drives her towards the edge, and with one last thrust that hits her core, he sends her over the edge. She clenches down around him, dragging him with her into the abyss.

_When they hissed, groaned, whispered, gasped, _screamed, _the other's name to the ceiling, it sounded no different than the countless other arguments they'd had. There was certainly no inflection there; nothing that reminded either of them of the softest caress in the most intimate places. It didn't make either of their hearts catch in their chests. _

He pulls out and flops down on his back, staring up at his ceiling. They are both breathing heavily from another one of their rolls in the sheets, and their skin is slick with sweat. If she curls up beside him, her head resting on his firm chest, then it is because she is too tired to get up and leave, and he makes a good pillow. If his arms wrap around her waist and pull her up against him, it is because her trained body is soft. Neither of them takes any notice of the way their bodies fit together so perfectly.

_When it was over and done with, Jade's head only handed on Roy's chest because she was too lazy to move. Roy's arm only wrapped around Jade's waist because it was comfortable. When Jade traced the lines of his scars with her fingertip, it was for her own personal interest. Roy's fingers only slid through the silky layers of her hair because he knew that she would be annoyed when she realized it was mussed. They fell asleep curled around each other because if they were lucky, one of them would let down their guard and they could start the battle all over again._

It was a series of one-night stands, noting serious or committed. Occasionally, though, whenever she was too tired to leave or whenever he didn't want to face Green Arrow just yet, they would spend the night together. Jade usually woke first the morning after, and she would softly trace the sharp bone of his jaw before placing a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth and disappearing without a trace. However, on the rare occasion that Roy was the first to wake, he would lazily run his fingers through her jet-black hair with a gentle touch so unlike him before getting dressed and leaving her to wake alone.

**_They were lovers, but they weren't in love. Yet, neither of them minded, because feelings such as love only complicated things, after all._**


	54. Boy Scout

**_~YJ~_**

**054. Boy Scout**

**Rated: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

"Hey guys?"

The others turned and looked expectantly at their youngest member—that was the first time he'd spoken up in _hours_. After sitting on the couch and hacking all day, he'd finally looked up from his codes and numbers.

"Yes, Robin?" Kaldur asked. Robin did a quick check to see if Superboy was around; he wasn't. He'd stayed afterschool to wait for M'gann to get out of cheerleading practice. The bird looked thoughtful. "I just realized something. Superman's called the 'Big Blue Boy Scout', right?"

After casting uncertain glances at the boys, Artemis nodded, wondering where this was going. This _was _Robin, after all; Lord only knew what a mind like his could concoct after six hours of silence. He was known for random thoughts on things such as aster and whelmed.

"Yeah…"

"Why not just call him a Smurf instead?"


	55. Five Years Gone

**_~YJ~_**

**055. Five Years Gone**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

All was quiet in Mt Justice, the lights turned off and the air thick and muggy from the nearby ocean. A layer of dust blanketed the old base, telling of disuse and neglect. It was obvious to anyone who looked that this place hadn't been in use for some time; sheets covered the furniture, the appliances had been unplugged, and it was clear that it hadn't been disturbed for years. To be exact, the base had been put out of commission a few months short of three years ago.

A pale shadow detached itself from the gloom, making its way across the old training room, stirring up dust in its wake. Seemingly of their own accord, the lights flickered on, illuminating the deserted hideaway and the full extent of its abandonment. The shadow peered around at the old base and shook her head.

"This brings back memories," the shadow murmured, remembering the hours she spent within these walls.

"It sure does."

The shadow turned her head to look at the newcomer. Dressed in black and blue, with long black hair hanging in his face, he was almost a shadow himself, the opposite of her. Slender and lean, he was no longer a child but not yet a man. He looked around at the old base and smiled to himself, and she saw echoes of what he was thinking. The memories were good, up until the point where everything went downhill. When the shit hit the fan and everything exploded in their faces, after everything and everyone they lost…after that day, they hadn't been able to recover, and the team fell apart, everyone going their separate ways.

He eyed the shadow, a mixture of apprehension and curiosity radiating off of him; she knew that when he'd gotten the call, he'd been startled to hear from her, especially after she dropped off the face of the Earth for four years. He couldn't resist her invitation, though, and she knew he was a bit uneasy about coming without knowing what she wanted. She'd refused to tell him unless he showed up, and despite a few lingering doubts, he'd made the journey from Bludhaven to Happy Harbor to see her and answer her call.

"Well, I'm here. What do you want?"

She knew that Oracle had told him about her trip to the Watchtower, where she'd spoken with Batman. She'd been trying to warn them and alert them to the rising problem, but all she could get was the promise of a base if she could assemble a team. So she'd made some calls and requested that each of them come to Mount Justice, Happy Harbor to hear what she had to say. She hadn't been sure if Nightwing would really come—receiving a phone call from someone who's supposed to be spectral dust had to be unsettling and more than a little dubious.

But sure enough, here he was, standing in front of her as if the past four years hadn't happened, and he couldn't deny that she was back now. It was impossible to mistake her cloaked figure for anyone other than the mysterious and powerful sorceress Raven, even if the only visible features were two glowing white eyes shining out from under the shade of her hood, and the outline of a face paler than the moon. She shook her head. _No, not yet, Richard, but soon._

"Not yet, Nightwing. Patience. The others should show up at any time."

His eyes narrowed; he had a bad feeling about this. Raven knew she was known for manipulating people into doing what she wanted while letting them think they were in charge, but really, did he need to be _this _paranoid? Oh wait, trained by Batman, _duh!_ "Others? You didn't mention any others. Who else?"

She didn't respond; she didn't have to, for just then, another guest joined the party. Tall, broad-shouldered, and well built, with dark chocolate skin and blond hair in a short ponytail; she could have smiled, but she didn't. This was no time for remembering their past; there would be time enough for that later, if she played her cards right. Silvery eyes met hers, and she knew Kaldur was thinking the same thing. But he didn't speak to her, instead turning his attention to the younger ex-sidekick. "Nightwing," the Atlantean acknowledged coolly. Nightwing nodded in return. She knew they hadn't spoken in years, but that they had an understanding and were still friends. That was more than could be said about some people.

It wasn't long before the others started to arrive. First Flash, and then M'gann and Ravager. Finally, Arsenal made his appearance, and eventually, even Green Arrow showed up at the old base. Obviously, Connor would not be making an appearance, what with being a statue and all… It was shaky, at first. Tensions ran strong and grudges thick, and she almost choked on the emotions in the air. Clearly, the past had not been forgotten.

Now that everyone had assembled in the old training room sitting on chairs in a half-moon circle, Raven stood before them like Azar before her disciples, and lowered her hood. Her hair had grown, easily long enough to brush her elbows, and her chakra stone glittered in the dim lighting. The insignia on her cloak hadn't changed, but the cloak itself certainly had—instead of the deep blue they remembered, it was pure white, and though they couldn't see, whatever uniform she wore underneath was the same. The glow of her eyes faded, returning them to normal, and amethyst orbs surveyed her friends sadly. She had been so sure she was doing the right thing, but now that they were together, she had her doubts.

_No, _she reprimanded herself. _This ends _now_, and it means dredging up the past and opening old scars, then I will. Sometimes the only way to heal is to confront the problem._

"At the risk of sounding clichéd, I have brought you all together because we have a problem that needs resolving. A _big _problem. Crime rates have gone up drastically, and not just in problem cities like Gotham or Bludhaven. All over the world, crime is spiking in major cities and capitals. You must have noticed that in your cities, crime has gone up drastically, and not just gangs and burglars. Most of the spike comes from metahumans."

A few of the young heroes had guilty looks on their faces, which meant that yes, they'd noticed, but they'd hoped it was just in their minds.

"Why tell us? Why not go to the JL?" Flash inquired, looking puzzled.

Raven snorted. "I _did _tell them this, but they won't do anything about it. They don't want to admit that metahumans are getting out of hand, because if they do, then they have to admit that they didn't do as good a job of keeping Earth safe as they'd like people to believe. They've set themselves up as gods, raising their base above our heads and acting so much more superior than us. They can't see that when those who can make a difference stop looking after the little guy, the little guy tends to get squished."

This time it was Arsenal who spoke up, eyes narrowed behind a domino mask. "What does that have to do with us?" He always was the more cynical, even by her standards.

"How many heroes do you think aren't Leaguers? More than you'd think. I intend to form a new team, a group of heroes and their allies across the world, connected by a central communication system and operating out of a series of bases. We need to get a handle on the criminals soon or they'll start getting more ambitious. Say a hero in South Africa is in trouble or needs backup. They use a communicator to contact another member or to send out a distress signal, and anyone who's close enough to help comes to their aide."

Realization dawned on Artemis's face, visible after she'd removed her mask. She'd probably changed the most. Honestly, if blame were to be placed, Artemis had been at the root of the problems that had unraveled the team in the first place. When she was revealed as a mole and a Shadows assassin, the excrement hit the ventilator. It didn't matter that the Justice League vouched for her as a double agent; she had been feeding the Shadows mostly false information while giving the League _real _dirt. They didn't care; all they cared about was that she had lied to them, tricked them. She disappeared for a while before turning up as thief-for-hire Tigress. Sometime over the past years, she'd dyed her hair black and cut it into short, feathery layers that danced around her head and framed her face.

But Raven's intuition and empathy, and the superhero community told her that Artemis had reformed. When Oliver Queen had died (Superman vs jet engine, Superman wins; Ollie vs jet engine, the engine turns him into pudding), Artemis took up the title Green Arrow and quickly taught the criminals of Star City not to underestimate a girl.

"Like a network. The communicators will connect us and allow us to pool resources and information, and expand our circles, bringing more heroes into the team. I assume you intend to choose one location as the main base, with a central computer and database. The other bases would branch off of the first, expanding with…"

"With each hero who receives a communicator," Raven finished and nodded, looking pleased. "Exactly. That's the problem with the Justice League. They have _one _base, the Watchtower. All assignments and communications are routed through that one location, which limits how they operate. If the Watchtower is taken out of commission or suffers a power failure, both of which have happened before, they'll be crippled."

She looked around at the gathered heroes, the remnants of the Young Justice team. They'd all grown so much and the scars were deep and raw, but Raven wondered if it wasn't too late to heal them. Artemis had proven her worth and her loyalties; even Arsenal was beginning to trust her.

"This team won't be under the jurisdiction of the Justice League. Yes, some members of the new team will also be Leaguers—it would be nigh impossible otherwise—but we wouldn't be affiliated with them nor would we have to bow to their rules. I've procured funding and a location for a first base, and all I need now are members. Any questions?"

She was confident that they would all opt to join, even if it was only as a part-timer. How could they resist an opportunity like the one she was offering them? Even though they certainly still had trust issues, she was sure that they could be mended along with the broken friendship that had shattered five years ago. The wounds ran deep, but time heals everything or so they say. What time could not mend, subtle pushes from her empathy most certainly could. She didn't enjoy messing with the emotions of her allies, but she would make an exception if it would benefit their friendships and mental well-being.

There was silence for some time, as each of them considered the pros and cons of her proposition. Finally, after what seemed like hours but was only minutes, Nightwing stood up, face unreadable. He approached her.

"You can count me in, Raven. It's a good idea, something I should have thought of, and I'd be glad to help."

Predictably, Flash rose and immediately pledged his services. Raven internally smiled. She knew that once Dick agreed, Wally would be close behind, always ready to protect his lover. M'gann agreed followed by Roy and Kaldur. It all boiled down to Artemis, the only one left sitting, and all eyes turned to watch her, wondering what her decision would be. Finally, she stood up and gazed at her old comrades with eyes haunted by her past and the uncertainty of her future. Slowly, she approached them.

"I've done some things I'm not proud of, but if you'll take me, I'd be honored to join the team."

Nightwing clapped her on the shoulder, and some of the tension that had hung heavy the entire meeting dissipated. Unseen, Raven allowed herself a small smile. Sometimes, all people needed was a little push in the right direction. Retrieving something from beneath her cloak, she held out her hands, revealing six round yellow communicators, each marked with a black "T" in the center.

"Take one of these." When everyone had grabbed a communicator, she asked drily, "So…who wants to be the leader?"

Nightwing looked amused. "This was you're idea. You don't want to do the honors?"

Raven gave him a withering look. "Not a chance."

The choice was unanimous; even back at the beginning of the YJ, the natural leader was known from the start. It was a little over an hour after the meeting had started when they were ready to make their separate departures. Raven instructed them to meet her at a set of coordinates a week later, and it was as she was forming her portal that M'gann voiced the question they had all been thinking

"What does the 'T' stand for?"

Raven smirked at them over her shoulder, laughing at a joke known only to her. She'd derived the name from the only beings ever to pose a threat to the gods; she'd chosen to ignore the fact that ultimately, their namesakes failed.

She spoke two words and disappeared, her voice still hanging in the air as her inky black portal vanished.

"The Titans."

_ "The Titans aren't just a group of different heroes. We're one team. And when there's trouble, you know who to call."_

_**~YJ~**_

**Sorry if the end is bad. By the time I got there, I was getting bored. I thought for the number 55, I should finally get the prompt "Five Years Gone" out of the way. As always, tell me of any mistakes you notice, and review, review, REVIEW!**_  
><em>


	56. The Rules

**_~YJ~_**

**056. The Rules**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

1. Mentioning clowns and jokers around Batman, Robin, or anyone affiliated with them is just ASKING to get the crap knocked out of you.

2. Yes, Robin is an A-rated gymnast who could beat the pants off anyone in the Olympics. Make fun of it and he'll beat the pants off YOU, _literally_.

3. Wally is not allowed to have abundant amounts of any of the following: Monster, Red Bull, Rockstar, Mountain Dew, espresso, coffee, caffeine, and/or sugar under _any _circumstances.

4. Unless it's an emergency.

5. No, Wally, not even then.

6. Calling Spee—Red Arrow "Speedy" is a no-no.

7. Don't mention Red Arrow in front of Artemis.

8. Or the other way around. It's also wise not to mention Green Arrow or the Justice League in front of Red Arrow.

9. You eat M'gann's cooking, and you don't complain.

10. Ever. No matter how bad it is.

11. However, buying her a cookbook is never a bad idea.

12. Or signing her up for cooking lessons. Cooking lessons are a gift that will never get old.

14. Don't suggest Robin and Kid Flash are more than friends.

15. Even if it's _totally_ true.

16. We are NOT!

17. "Sidekicks" is a banned term. Like, ten times worse than any cuss word.

18. Prank calling the entire Justice League is a surefire way to get deported to a third-world country for the rest of your natural life.

19. Unless you're Batgirl, touching Robin's equipment is a BIG no-no.

20. Don't offer to fix the TV for Superboy, no matter how long he stares blankly at the screen.

21. Don't tease Roy about his "thing" with Cheshire, especially around Green Arrow, Batman, or Artemis. _(For the last time, THERE'S NO THING!)_

22. Don't ask Artemis about her family, particularly her father.

23. Or Conner.

24. How about we just presume family is off-limits, right?

25. On that note, we don't go snooping around in people's lives, _Robin_.

26. Playing the Blame Game achieves absolutely nothing, _Artemis_.

27. Staring at Black Canary's butt is not recommended at any time.

28. Or Wonder Woman's.

29. Or Batman's, for that matter.

30. Unless you're Wally, don't walk into Robin's room without knocking and receiving consent.

31. Unless you _like_ seeing them on top of each other, of course.

32. For the last time, we were _sparring_!

33. Whatever you say (sparring doesn't involve hands in pants, boys).

34. After watching a scary movie, it is _not_ okay to disappear and laugh creepily, because it _does _echo down the halls of Mt. Justice.

35. Don't teach everyone how to play "Spin the Bottle." (_Sooo _awkward with only two girls, though I didn't hear Robin and Wally complaining…)

36. _Don't_ randomly disappear like a ninja.

37. Try to avoid the topic of Superman around Conner.

38. And vice-versa.

39. Don't tell Artemis and Wally to get a room.

40. Unless you want her to do the same to Robin and Wally.

41. Stealing of Wally's souvenirs can and will be treated as an open declaration of war. Same goes for Robin's glasses and laptop.

42. Don't play a game that involves running or movement and expect Wally to play fair.

43. For the _last _time, PUT THE TOILET SEAT DOWN.

44. Just because Robin and Artemis don't have powers doesn't mean they can't kick your ass without breaking a sweat.

45. Fort nights are obligatory and shall take place every fortnight, unless there is a mission or a similarly-occupying activity happening at the time

46. No, you can_not_ call Artemis Rapunzel or Blondie, unless you _want _to receive an arrow to the behind.

47. We are never watching _Tangled_ again.

48. Watching _Tangled_ is now required at all obligatory fort nights.

49. Do not ask Wally about his conspiracy theories. I'm dead serious.

50. If you value your sanity, do not watch _National Treasure 1 _or _2 _with Robin.

51. Or _Da Vinci Code_, or _Valkyrie_.

52. Or any movie that has some sort of historical context (or scientific, mathematical—just avoid academic-type movies).

53. Yes, Artemis and Batgirl are friends—this does not mean you can ask them to spar so you can "observe." We all know you're just going to ogle and drool, Wally.

54. The main computer is for research and informational purposes _only_—_not_ for downloading illegal music and video games.

55. No, Robin, you can't hack into the Pentagon for fun.

56. Or the CIA.

57. "Hello, Megan," is not something we mock.

58. No matter how much we may want to and no matter how infuriatingly obnoxious it is.

59. As hilarious as it is, don't stick up pictures of Robin in his old uniform.

60. Unless you _want _a batarang lodged in a very painful place and very embarrassing secrets/photos/videos posted _all_ over the Internet.

61. Comparing Red Arrow and Artemis is not advisable under the best of circumstances.

62. Sharpies are always in a locked drawer. Period, the end, good-bye, end of discussion.

63. Tumblr and Facebook do _not_ qualify as research.

64. Taking the Batmobile for a joyride is highly discouraged.

65. Wally, do _not _rearrange my furniture while I'm asleep. I will incinerate your stash of Twinkies, I swear to God.

66. Don't ask about the broken doors.

67. "What do you mean you hacked into the White House?"

68. No, you _can't _call Superman a Smurf, _Robin, _no matter how friggin' hilarious it is

69. _Mission Impossible_ is not an acceptable soundtrack when on surveillance.

70. Same for the Pink Panther theme. And the Kim Possible theme.

71. Remember Conner has super hearing, _Robin _and_ Wally._

72. Apparently, going on unauthorized missions is "completely irresponsible, reckless, and generally unacceptable."

73. When around Aqualad, try to avoid mentioning Atlantis.

74. When we're at the beach, believe it or not, the ogling is _not _appreciated.

75. Oh, so it's okay for _you_ to stare at Robin, but _I_ can't appreciate the view the girls present?

76. You were looking at Robin too!

77. I was not!

78. Were too!

79. Was not!

80. As flattered as I am, you guys _do_ realize ogling me in _any_ context is the quickest way to have Batman on your case? _And_ I'm pretty sure he reads these.

81. Never, ever put yourself in a situation that puts you on the receiving end of Daddy!Bats death glare. _Ever_.

82. Do _not _go to Golden Corral and eat them out of business, _Wally._

83. Robin, you may _not _take Kid Flash to Golden Corral, Old Country Buffet, or anywhere with an All-You-Can-Eat special.

84. No, you may _not _ask Kaldur if he can get you the Little Mermaid's autograph.

85. And ditto for asking him if he ever went on a date with her.

86. Wally, you may _not_ molest Robin on a regular basis, and "It's not my fault he's so cute and snuggable!" is _not _a valid excuse!

87. Karaoke Night is now mandatory.

88. Do not insinuate that there's something more between Kaldur and Raven than just comradeship and a friendly rivalry.

89. Even though they're _totally_ dating.

90. Insisting that there's no such thing as magic and thus Raven is a phony is a surefire way to end up in the ICU in a hospital, _Wally_.

91. Robin and Kid Flash are _not_ allowed to spend the night together alone, no matter how "innocent" they may seem.

92. Using Miss M's cooking as a new assassination technique isn't good, Artemis. There has to be a nicer way to kill someone.

93. Artemis, don't sing "I'm GA's favorite" whenever Roy comes to visit. We like having him around, believe it or not.

94. Wally! My computer is for hacking and surveillance purposes, _not _for the Sims 3!

95. It isn't wise to mention the Joker within earshot of _any _Caped Crusader.

96. Starting a debate between Artemis and Wally over the existence of magic is not advisable.

97. Antagonizing Batgirl is _not _a good idea no matter what. Trust me.

98. A "Battle of the Sexes" is not advisable, because women stick together and soon you aren't just facing have Artemis and Miss Martian, but Black Canary, Wonder Woman, Raven, Batgirl, Batwoman, and Hawkwoman as well.

99. Batgirl cheats. Get over it, Robin.

100. There is a certain time of the year when Robin gets moody, irritable, and prone to disappearing for long periods of time. This is normal.

101. On that note, during Artemis, Batgirl, Raven's, and Black Canary's "time of the month," it is advisable to keep your eyes down, mouths shut, and if needed, legs crossed.

**_~YJ~_**

**I had SO much fun writing these! And thank you SO MUCH to just-the-hands for pointing out that some of my rules coincide with another author's. I swear I didn't do it on purpose, but I decided to re-work this chapter to fix that. There are some things a person just doesn't do, and stealing another author's work is just plain awful.**


	57. Searching

**_~YJ~_**

**057. Searching**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

**MONDAY NIGHT/TUESDAY MORNING:**

A lone figure stood on the rooftop, his tall, well-built body a silhouetted shadow against the full moon. He looked out over the surrounding area, keeping an eye out for explosions, clouds of smoke, or any sign of the missing teen. He had been skulking around the town for over an hour and he had nothing to report, regretfully. He wasn't looking forward to calling the Dark Knight and telling him he'd found nothing. Honestly, he'd rather face a volcano about to blow its top.

He lifted a hand to his ear, activating the communicator nestled there. "Robin?…Robin, can you hear me?…Answer me."

Static crackled in his ear; still no response from the younger boy.

According to Batman, Robin had left a friend's house at about seven-twenty PM on Saturday as a civilian, and was planning on making a sweep of the city on his way home; he never showed up at the Batcave. It was now nearing midnight on Monday night; he hadn't been heard from since he notified Batman of his intentions, and his tracking signal had been lost somewhere in Kaldur's current vicinity.

Kaldur was starting to get worried about the human child. Yes, Robin was often immature and didn't take his job as seriously as he should, but he wasn't stupid. He wouldn't just stop checking in with his mentor at some point; he _always _kept in touch. There was no way the teen could have gotten rid of the tracer; it was implanted into the band of his underwear (he didn't ask when Batgirl told him).

He sighed and shook his head, and took the fire escape down to the alley below. He'd make another sweep on foot before calling it a night and resuming his search in the morning. He made his way down the street and around the corner. He was halfway down this road when there was a beeping noise in his ear. A tap of his finger on the tiny machine answered the call. "Aqualad."

_"Kaldur, have you found him? Please say you've found him."_

Kaldur stopped walking, and looked up at the starlit sky. He didn't know what he was looking for exactly—maybe some sign that the little bird was okay, a clue to his whereabouts, some divine being telling him that Robin was safe, that he had just gotten sidetracked by something. Whatever he was looking for, he didn't find it.

"Not yet, Black Canary. I am making one last sweep and then I will head back."

_"All right. But hurry. Something bad has happened to him, Aqualad, I just know it."_

Kaldur was about to answer her when a movement in his periphery caught his attention. He turned and his eyes widened, stomach dropping.

"Black Canary, I have to go. I will call you back."

_"What, did you find someth-"_

He cut the connection, their conversation already fading to the background.

_Oh God, no…_

_Robin._

_**~YJ~**_

_**Here's a new chapter! Not the one I was planning to upload, but I haven't finished with THAT one and THIS one was already written (as was the sequel, if anyone wants to know what happened to poor Rob), so this got uploaded instead. Let me know if there are any mistakes. As always, review and favorite! I love reviews, reviews = love. Do you love me? Yes? Then review, dammit!**_

_**...I made an arrow, but fanfiction deleted it...now I'm sad. T_T  
><strong>_


	58. Seeing Red

**_Part II of Searching  
><em>**

**_~YJ~_**

**058. Seeing Red**

**Rated: T**

**_~YJ~_**

**MONDAY NIGHT/TUESDAY MORNING:**

_"What, did you find someth-"_

He cut the connection, their conversation already fading to the background.

_Oh God, no…_

There was no mistaking the slender figure stumbling their way down the alleyway towards him.

_Robin._

Blue eyes landed on him, hazy and foggy. The younger boy opened his mouth to say something, but before he could utter a word, his legs gave out and he crumbled to the ground. Kaldur crossed the distance between them in a few long strides, and in a mere moment, the Atlantean was standing in front of his teammate. His heart, already frayed with worry, wrenched at the sight of the team's "little brother."

Robin's dark hair, usually styled in its distinct style that managed to be messy and neat at the same time, was disheveled and messier than usual. His skin was paler than Aqualad had ever seen, and the scratches and bruises stood out starkly on his thin body. The teen was naked as a newborn, kneeling on the dirty pavement, and it didn't take a genius to put the pieces together.

Robin disappears and doesn't check back in; the signal from the tracer, implanted in his boxers, goes offline and doesn't come back on; he's missing for several days, gone without a trace; Kaldur finds him, naked and looking like hell ran over him with a bulldozer, staggering along in an alley at o'dark-thirty in the morning.

He'd have to be a complete idiot not to know what had happened.

"Robin?" he asked softly, his voice bouncing off the walls on either side of them. The kid's head shot up, and red-hot fury swelled inside Kaldur. Robin's ocean blue eyes were murky and unfocused, and full of fear. Whoever did this was going to pay dearly for hurting him. The little bird had a black eye, a bloody lip, and a nasty-looking scratch on the left side of his face. When he first saw Kaldur, his eyes widened and he pulled away, scuttling back until he hit the brick wall. A shaft of moonlight highlighted the small boy's face, putting the inflicted injuries into stark detail. Pain stabbed through the leader's chest before he banished it.

_He is afraid of me…He is actually afraid of me._

Kaldur held up webbed hands so Robin could see them, and crouched down in front of him.

"Robin," he said quietly, trying to be reassuring and comforting, "Robin, I am not going to hurt you. It's me."

Robin only stared at him, and Kaldur found that he was terrified. Terrified for the mental well-being of the human, terrified for the future of the team…terrified for his little brother

His inner musings were cut off when Robin asked hesitantly, "K-Kaldur?" The young hero moved closer, the fear leaving his eyes as recognition took its place.

Relief spread through Kaldur's system briefly. _He recognizes me. Thank Poseidon. _Kaldur nodded, eyes never leaving Robin's. "Yes, Robin, it's me. I'm here."

He shrugged off his blue jacket and tugged it on the younger teen, guiding his arms into the sleeves. Robin didn't fight him, but he didn't help him exactly; he just sat there looking at him, as if he was trying to process that his leader was really there.

"Come on, Robin," Kaldur said, pulling Robin towards him. He scooped him up, bridal style, and stood up. His motorcycle was parked not far from where they were; he'd carry Robin to the car and head to a motel from there. There was no way Kaldur was going to take Robin back to Batman like this. What Robin needed was time to calm down and clean up without the crowd or the chance that someone would find out what had happened.

Robin buried his face into the Atlantean's chest, hands frantically fisting in the fabric and tears soaking into the shirt. With the younger teen's body this close, Kaldur could feel the shaking of suppressed sobs. It was then and there that the Atlantean (ex)sidekick vowed to hunt down whoever did this and kill the bastard (or bastards). He would slice them up like sushi with his blades and then piss on their graves. No, he would torture them until they begged him to kill them and he would not allow them the sweet escape of death. They would regret the day that they ever _considered_ touching his younger brother.

"It is alright, Robin. I have you. You are safe."

With those words, Kaldur started towards the motorcycle.

**_~YJ~_**

When they reached the motel, Kaldur left Robin sitting by the motorcycle while he went and paid for a room. As he closed the car door, he thought about the ride. Robin had been quiet the entire ten minutes it took to find a place to stay for the night, simply sitting in his lap, clutching the jacket tightly. Normally, Kaldur would be grateful for the silence. But this night had _not _been normal, and he couldn't describe how thankful he would have been for a little annoying chatter.

Annoying was exactly how he would describe the no-tell motel clerk. Wide nose, big ears, enough acne to say that puberty would likely last into his nineties, and frizzy blond hair that wanted to be long but ended up being wide instead. His eyes were glued to his porn mag, one hand slapped across his mouth and the other residing somewhere south of the border, and he didn't even look up when Kaldur walked through the door and up to the desk.

"I would like a room," he said, slapping a wad of bills on the countertop. The clerk looked at him, down at the bills, and back to him slowly, as if he was having a hard time comprehending what the agent wanted.

"A room. Now," repeated Kaldur, enunciating each word. He was losing what little patience he had left.

The clerk looked past him at the door. "I didn't hear you come in. How come I didn't hear bluntly you come in? We have a bell."

Correction—they _had _a bell. Bells made noise and noise wasn't good. Any cat sneaking around in the shadows would tell you that. It would also probably tell you that talking to this particular clerk was useless. Kaldur reached over the desk and grabbed a key. Lucky number thirteen. He turned and walked back toward the door. "ID," the clerk called after him. "Hey, dude, I need some ID."

Kaldur gave him an extra ten. It was all the ID the guy needed.

He returned to the motorcycle to find Robin in the exact same position he'd been in when Kaldur had left him. The younger kid looked up when Kaldur approached.

"Can you walk to the room?"

Robin nodded and climbed out of the car, the blue jacket long enough to cover everything important. Robin locked the bike, not wanting to owe the Justice League an explanation, and started towards the room he'd rented for the night. The younger teen limped after him, blood dripping down his legs. It didn't take long for Kaldur to turn on his heel and pick Robin up, cradling the small body against his chest. Robin didn't object, instead leaning into the elder, the only sign of discomfort a wince when Kaldur's hands touched his legs; Batman had trained him well at hiding his pain.

_Oh yes, they are going to die. Slowly and painfully. In the worst possible way I can think of, and then I will do it again._

The Atlantean carried his teammate across the parking lot, setting him down only when he had to unlock the door. Robin sidled up closer to Kaldur, shooting wary and uneasy glances at the few people lingering outside at this ungodly hour. Kaldur put a protective arm around the Gothamite and with the other, he unlocked the door with the number "13" printed on it in peeling green paint. He gently ushered his little brother inside.

He locked the door behind them, and it was then that he caught sight of the sign posted on the back of the door. Under the check-in/check-out times, the rules of the motel were printed. The first rule was "No prostitution in this room." The second was "No drugs are to be sold in this room." Kaldur quit reading after that.

The hero flicked on the lights and turned to look at Robin. Back in the alley, the only light sources available came from a few streetlights and the moon. It had been difficult to determine the extent of his physical injuries. Now, in the motel room, it was painfully easy.

Robin's hair was matted with what Aqualad knew was blood, scratches and bruises littered his body, and overall, he looked like death warmed over. His eyes were downcast, refusing to look at the elder, and Kaldur remembered reading somewhere that rape victims nearly always experience fear after the ordeal—fear of their environment, of their health, of strangers, and even of people close to them. He also remembered that most victims of rape adjust to their experience in phases: shock, denial, and then integration. Obviously, Robin was still in shock. Kaldur didn't find this hard to believe; _he _was still coming to terms with it. But first things first.

He drew closer to the boy and lifted Robin's head up gently with his hands, so he could look him in the eyes, cool silver to anxious azure.

"We will get you cleaned up." He steered him into the bathroom and motioned towards the adjoined shower. "I assume you do not need any help with the shower?" Robin gave him a look that clearly said 'the sarcasm is not appreciated.' It was the first sign that the younger was paying attention, and Kaldur was grateful for it. He had been starting to wonder about the other boy's mental stability.

"There is a dollar store around the corner. I will make a quick trip, and then I'll be back." Robin's eyes widened and he grabbed Kaldur's hand worriedly, and Kaldur pressed on before Robin could object.

"I shall be there and back by the time you're done with your shower; don't worry, you'll be safe here."

**_~YJ~_**

**I decided to continue and do a 2nd part to this one. Tell me if you want me to do a part 3. I enjoyed doing another shot showing the brotherly relationship between Kaldur and Robbie.**

**If there is a next part, beware! I intend to include inexplicit references to the rape.**


	59. One Day

_**Part III and Final chapter (I mean it this time!) of _Searching_  
><strong>_

_**~YJ~**_

**059. One Day**

_**~YJ~**_

_"I am not going to hurt you."_

_"It's me."_

_"Yes, Robin, it's me. I'm here."_

_"It is alright, Robin. I have you."_

_"You are safe."_

_"I shall be there and back by the time you're done with your shower."_

_"Don't worry, you'll be safe here."_

Kaldur's words repeated in his head, playing over and over like a broken record player. He had to believe him, believe that what the elder said was the truth. Dick _needed _to, just so he could believe that he was finally safe. If there was one thing he could believe in, it was Kaldur. Even after everything that had happened, he knew he was safe with his big brother.

Dick lifted his head, taking deep, shuddering breaths as water coursed down his body, hissing when the searing liquid got into one of his many cuts or scrapes. He had turned the temperature up as high as it would go, because no matter how hot it was, he still felt cold. He felt cold and dirty and ashamed; even as water tinged with dirt and blood ran down the drain, and he scrubbed hard enough to rid himself of a few skin layers, he couldn't shake the overshadowing of being tarnished.

He knew from Kaldur's reaction—the Atlantean hadn't concealed it as well as he'd probably thought he had—that he looked horrible, and Aqualad didn't even know the half of it. Blood, both dried and wet, caked the insides of his legs. His chest, collarbone, and torso were all littered with bruises, cuts, deep bite marks, and dark hickies. _God, I hope Kal didn't see the hickies. _He knew that if he turned his head to the side, exposing his neck, and looked in a mirror, he'd see dark bruising where hands had been wrapped around his neck not long ago, as well as more accusing marks.

The need to vomit crept up his throat. Memories flashed in his mind.

_Him walking down an alley, looking for a place to change away from prying eyes_

_A flash of metal, a muffled _bang,_ and the sharp prick of a needle in his shoulder, ice sliding into his veins_

_Rope biting into his wrists, cutting off circulation and bruising his skin_

_Strong, meaty fists closing around his throat, constricting and squeezing and shaking him, cutting off his air supply_

_Someone tore at his clothes while a second person pinned his arms above him_

_The scrape of concrete rough against his bare back; a blade on his neck, nicking his skin and sending warm blood trickling down to his collarbone_

_His attacker biting, licking, nipping, scratching_

Dick's legs shook and buckled under him. He collapsed to the floor of the shower, body shaking with the sobs he hadn't let Kaldur see. He hadn't wanted the older teen to see him like this, so weak when he was supposed to be strong, but he didn't care anymore. He couldn't take it.

_A figure on top of him, moving on him and in him, pounding into him and ripping through him_

_The sound of skin slapping against skin filling the alley_

_Wave after wave of unbearable pain exploding in his body_

_Screams of pain mixed with cries of ecstasy, excruciating agony mingling with condemning pleasure_

He felt hot tears come to his eyes and he didn't try to fight them, instead letting them slide down his face, indistinguishable from the water. His shoulders shook as he cried, kneeling on the shower floor, the searing water pounding down on him. He wished that it would take the horrible feeling away, the knot of disgust and revulsion that nestled itself firmly in his stomach. A horrible, heart-wrenching kneeing filled the air. His throat was raw and sore; it took him a while to realize that he was causing that sound.

_His assaulter's pace quickening, fingers digging into his shoulders, hard enough to draw blood_

_A burst of heat that filled him and dripped down his legs_

_His shoulder hitting the hard pavement as he was thrown aside, his head making a _crack_ing sound when it connected with cement_

_Each step creating ripples of agony as he stumbled blindly, not knowing where he was or how to get home_

A surge of nausea swelled over him as his stomach twisted in pain. He heaved, emptying his stomach of the three pizzas he'd consumed at Bab's house. Sticky and humid, the heat of the shower consumed him, pressing in on him. He was dimly aware of the sound of a closing door and footsteps, but he paid them no mind as he groaned and puked again. Body trembling, Dick wrapped his arms around his middle and moaned. The stench of vomit filled his nose, and he spat out a glob of phlegm.

He heard his name being called, distant and faint, and he felt the temperature of the water drop from near boiling to lukewarm. A hand rubbed circles on his back, its partner smoothing his hair back away from his face and out of the splash zone. They remained like that for several minutes, until there was nothing left for Robin to throw up and he was only dry heaving; his stomach was empty but his body refused to stop. Finally, the heaving dispersed into coughing, and his muscles stopped cramping and started to relax. He leaned back against the wall, spitting residue out of his mouth.

He turned his head weakly, gazing up at Kaldur's face, and he was a little surprised to find the boy's usual stoic, unreadable expression was gone, gone, gone. In its place was one of worry and concern. Kaldur squeezed his shoulder with a reassuring hand before lifting up a wet washcloth and gently wiping Robin's face with it.

"I told you I would be back soon, didn't I." It was a statement, not a question.

Robin nodded numbly, and just sat there in the undoubtedly less-than-sanitary bathtub while Kaldur soaked another washcloth and started to finish the job Dick had only partially accomplished. Robin couldn't even find the energy, emotional or otherwise, to be embarrassed that his friend had to help him; he felt drained, and all he wanted to do was curl up into a ball and die. As Kaldur mopped up the remainder of the blood and filth, Robin finally asked, "Are you taking me back to Batman?" His voice was hoarse and it hurt to speak. He didn't want to go back to Bruce, not yet; he didn't want anyone to see him like this. It was bad enough that Kaldur knew.

"First, I'm going to treat your injuries, and then you're getting some sleep. After that, I am not sure. We'll see after you rest."

Kaldur turned off the water and, pulling a towel around his younger brother, helped him to stand. He gently picked him up and carried him out into the motel room. He had been honest when he told Robin he didn't know what he was going to do. He knew he should call the Justice League, Batman especially—actually, he should have informed the League immediately. But Robin trusted him, and Kaldur highly doubted that the little bird would want his mentor to see him like this—damaged, frightened, and weak.

The bags containing his purchases sat on the single bed; Kaldur set Robin down on the carpet and retrieved the first aid kit from a plastic sack. When he turned around, he was struck by how different Robin looked. It was understandable, considering what he had been through, but it was still staggering.

Robin stood in the middle of the room, arms and towel shielding him and making him look unusually small. His wet black hair was plastered to his forehead, making his blue eyes look larger than Kaldur remembered. His face looked vaguely familiar, but Aqualad couldn't remember _where _he'd seen it before. The Atlantean stepped forward and, cautiously, as if dealing with an injured shark, he pulled the towel away and began administrating medical attention. He swabbed stinging antiseptic to the abrasions, applied bandages where needed, and did his best to preserve what little modesty the boy had left.

When he deemed Robin sufficiently patched up, Kaldur handed Robin the plastic bag holding the clothes he'd bought. "I am not aware of what sizes you'd need, so I tried the best I could. However, they may not fit right."

Robin nodded and took the clothes with a whispered, "Thanks." He retreated to the bathroom and closed the door. When he emerged about a minute later, he was clad in a plain green T-shirt and grey sweatpants, both slightly too big on his lithe body. Kaldur held up a cup of ramen noodles.

"Would you like something to eat?"

Robin shook his head, not meeting Kaldur's eyes. Instead, he was suddenly very interested in an indistinct spot on the carpet, keeping his eyes downcast. Kaldur stood up and approached him, holding the noodles out. "You were gone three days. You need to eat."

Again, Robin shook his head. Kaldur sighed, and put a hand on the bird's shoulder. Robin flinched, jerking away from the Atlantean's touch. "Robin…"

"…"

Kaldur's eyes widened and he set the cup of noodles on the side table. Did he just say what Kaldur _thought _he said? With a gentle hand, he cupped Robin's chin and lifted his head. If Kaldur's ears weren't playing tricks on him, then Robin had just… "What did you say?"

The younger's eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and as Kaldur watched, one…two…three diamond drops slipped free and made fast tracks down his scratched cheeks. He looked so…helpless, much less like one of Gotham's guardian shadows and more like the scared teenage boy that he really was.

Kaldur brushed them away with his thumb.

"I said, my name's Dick Grayson."

**_~YJ~_**

When Kaldur woke later that day, he kept his eyes shut, praying to the gods that the night had been a bad dream and Robin—no, _Dick—_was safe in his bed back in Gotham. The acrobat would arrive at the Cave, laughing and mischievous as ever, and Kaldur could dismiss the nightmare as an elder brother's worries. But something inside him _knew _that it had been very real, and some stranger had taken his upbeat, prank-loving brother and shattering that boy into a million pieces, leaving behind a terrified and fractured shadow.

His chest felt heavy…and warm? Kaldur cracked an eye to see Dick's head and arm sprawled across his chest, his small frame curled against Kaldur. The Atlantean smiled softly, and marginally tightened his arm around the younger's body. Dick's face shifted for a moment, a frown distorting his features, before settling back into a peaceful expression.

True, the road to healing was going to be long one, but Dick was strong and Kaldur would be there for him. They'd get there one day. Maybe not soon, but one day.

**_~YJ~_**

**Why is it that all the angst I write is Robin, and the only brotherly fics I've written for Kaldur and Robin are angst?**

**As far as I'm concerned, these three stories are outside whatever continuum this collection has. They don't relate to any other story, which makes it easier for me.**

**I posted a poll on my profile for the story. Check it out and vote; you can vote for up to seven different options for what stories I should write.**

**~Nagi**


	60. Girls Night In

**Hello, my minions! We will now commence with the plan to TAKE OVER THE YOUNG JUSTICE UNIVERSE, EARTH-16! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH-*chokes horribly and falls dramatically to the floor*!**

**I, the Great and Wonderful (not to mention humble) Nagi Kokuyo, your brave and vigilant commander, will allow you your pick of any YJ character to have as your very own. (Except Kaldur, whom I claim as my own! Hands off my guy!)**

**(Good God, am I ever gonna get flamed for _that_ last sentence...)**

**This takes place before Superboy and Miss Martian get together, because I started writing this before "Terrors" aired, and I am NOT rewriting it!**

**_~YJ~_**

**060. Girls Night In**

**_~YJ~_**

Barbara shook her head and looked around at the others, thinking that she _really _needed some new friends as she took a swig of her Mountain Dew. Artemis, M'gann, Raven, Kara, and herself, all decked out in pajamas and lounging around the Cave's living room. She had no idea how she'd been roped into this, but she was starting to seriously regret it.

_This is what I get_, she thought sardonically, _when I let myself get talked into this stuff._

It had started with M'gann suggesting a "girls' night in," probably an idea she got from one of the TV shows she was so fond of. This had led to an exodus of the male population and a mass purchasing of junk food, pizza, soda, and movies. Not chick flicks—that would be pushing the cliché bar a bit too far—but plenty of action and adventure films. They had somehow managed to draw in Raven, probably by the promise of all the pizza she could eat.

So here she was, sitting on the couch in a tight black tank and indigo boy shorts, cuddling her stuffed bear and listening to M'gann and Kara twitter about which boys in a magazine were cuter. She grabbed a handful of popcorn and M&M's, and started picking at it. She was struck by an idea fueled by years of dealing with boys, and a smile slowly spread across her face as she weighed the likelihood of male curiosity winning out over survival instincts.

"Hey girls? Let's play a game."

**oOoOoOo**

_"Hey girls? Let's play a game."_

Her voice came out of the speakers, broadcasting into the security booth to be heard by those who had decided to camp out there "in the interest of furthering their knowledge of the female mind." In other words: _where there be many pretty girls in their nighties, there be many peeping toms._ It was a tight fit, but Wally, Robin, Roy, Connor, and Kaldur all managed to fit in the small room, with Robin at the controls and the others crowded around in folding chairs. Officially, they were supposed to be hanging out at the Hall of Justice, but the girls didn't have to know the truth—with a little luck, they would _never _know the truth, that the boys had been watching their slumber party. They'd almost had to tie Kaldur down to stop him from ratting them out; he was the gentleman of the group, and not one for sneaking a peek at the girls. However, as soon as Dick mentioned that _Raven _would be there—and in her PJs, too—he oh-so-subtly changed his mind with a "someone has to make sure you don't go too far." So, they'd stuffed a cooler with enough soda to ensure they would hear all the dirty details, ordered enough pizzas to feed a small third-world country AND Wally, and broke out the DVR.

Speaking of Wally, the speedster was currently ogling the resident sharpshooter, despite all claims that he wouldn't care if she dropped off the face of the Earth. Artemis was in a button-up green satin shirt and matching capris, the first few buttons undone and revealing just enough cleavage to make the speedster salivate. Supergirl was elaborately braiding her hair with black satin ribbons, and speaking of the Kryptonian girl…

Much to Roy's delight, Kara was wearing a sheer, gauzy silver robe with over-large sleeves and a hood over her scarlet silk baby-doll dress that barely covered her girlie bits. M'gann, to the surprise of all, wore a much-too-big shirt that Connor would have sworn belonged to him and pink-and-white striped knee socks.

Despite his enormous respect (and a healthy dose of fear) towards her, Kaldur couldn't help but feel…_intrigued _by her (because he didn't dare even _think _the other yet more accurate word that began with an "a" and led to X-rated thoughts). She was wearing a long black and purple silk kimono that clung to her curves (and _damn_, were there curves) and her feet were bare, revealing midnight-painted nails and a silver anklet with a star charm. She was curled up on the couch next to Batgirl, holding a mug of tea and occasionally taking a sip.

Dick thanked any deity that would listen that he wasn't yet interested in the opposite sex. However, he had to say, Barbara looked _fantastic. _He mentally shook his head, derailing the train of thought that was heading down _bad _tracks. _No, bad Dick. Bad thoughts, and bad thoughts get you tied upside down in your sleep. _If Batgirl even suspected that he might think of her like that, she would disembowel him.

All of the peepers leaned forward when Batgirl suggested a game, even Connor; Dick was the only one who knew nothing good could come of this, something he'd learned through painful experience. He was, predictably, right.

_"What kind of game?" asked Kara, an eyebrow raised. M'gann had perked up at the mention of a game. "Truth or Dare?"_

_Batgirl smirked. "Oh no, this is way more fun! I learned it at a friend's birthday party last year. It's called Blast. We pick a girl, give her a guy, and then she has to say the most outrageous thing she can think of."_

_Artemis grinned and nodded approvingly. "I like the sound of this. Who picks the guy?"_

_Batgirl gestured vaguely at everyone in general. "We do. I say we do it in order of age, which means if we ignore Martian aging slower than humans…Raven goes first!"_

_**oOoOoOo**  
><em>

The girl almost looked like she wanted to back out, especially after they gave her Kaldur'ahm as the "unknowing" victim, but words of encouragement from the girls led her to raising her hands in defeat. "Alright, alright!" As soon as the others settled down, Raven smirked and sang in her best sultry voice, "_Who wants to get spanked by me?"_

Every jaw, whether male or female, dropped. That was definitely _not _what they expected from the silent sorceress, but then, they didn't really know her all that well. She was a friend of Kaldur, so they trusted her unless she gave them a reason not to, but she was a mystery to them. For a second, the entire Cave was dead silent, and then they all burst out laughing—even Raven was snickering. M'gann laughed so hard she had to make an emergency trip to the bathroom; Batgirl fell off the couch in stitches.

Finally, Artemis managed to squeak, "Oh God! I'll never get that visual out of my head!"

Batgirl nodded, and gasped, "If you ever said that to him, either he starts hearing hallelujah in his head, or you're going to kneeling next to him going 'hold on, Kaldur, the paramedics are coming!'" They cracked up all over again.

_**oOoOoOo**_

In the security booth, every guy was howling with laughter. Wally and Connor were struggling to support Roy to stop him from going into convulsions, and the whole while Robin pounded on Kaldur's back. "Breathe! I don't want to do CPR on a guy!" Apparently, if Raven had that in her, Kaldur didn't know her very well either.

When everyone calmed down (it took a while), Kara was up next. (Un)-surprisingly, the guy she was given was Roy. Silence fell over the security booth—Roy had been after Kara since he'd met her at fourteen and she was seventeen. She was well aware of this attraction, and she'd been kind enough not to crush his hopes in a blender; however, she didn't reciprocate his feelings, and instead treated him akin to the favorite puppy that piddled on the carpet but you just can't bear to smack because he's just too cute.

_**oOoOoOo**_

"Why do I have to get the hard one?" the Kryptonian complained, smirking at her own joke. Her face brightened mischievously. "Doesn't matter, I've got just the thing! I'd go up to him, say 'nice ass,' and then slap it."

The girls broke out in various forms of laughing, whistles, catcalls, and speculations about how often the oldest redhead had to work out to get that body of his. Now, Kaldur and Superboy weren't bad either, but they just couldn't compete with Roy friggin' Harper. This led to a conversation about which superhero had the cutest butt: Green Arrow was up there, but Batgirl swore up and down that there was no way the archer could beat Batman's bootie. "It's like granite!"

_**oOoOoOo**_

Wally nearly wet his pants as he dissolved into laughter and falling to the ground, holding his sides, and Dick was right behind the speedster, collapsing into hysterical convulsions. Roy's jaw was hanging slack; Kaldur was afraid the elder's eyes were going to pop out of his head and roll around on the floor like marbles. Maybe he wouldn't pursue the Kryptonian now that he knew she wasn't all sugar and spice.

_**oOoOoOo**_

This led to a discussion about which of the male populace would make the best boyfriend, while Raven did what she always did—sit quietly and observe. Roy had his looks working for him, as well as the whole bad-boy thing he had going. But Kaldur was handsome, commanding, powerful, and respectful—he was the guy your parents would approve of, and Roy would have them filing a restraining order.

_**oOoOoOo**_

Robin laughed and patted his brothers on the backs.

"Now all you need are girlfriends."

The redhead shot him the bird, but Kaldur just looked thoughtful.

_**oOoOoOo**_

They all agreed that Robin was cute and fun, but too young for anyone but Batgirl, who blushed and started picking imaginary lint off her plushie. As for Wally…Artemis put it best.

"He's nice to look at, but he's so _full _of it! If only he were more mature, _then _he'd be a good boyfriend," she stated matter-of-factly, thanking any deity that would listen that the boys couldn't hear them.

"As soon as you teach him who's in charge," Batgirl added. Everyone agreed; once Wally learned to be a little more controlled, any girl would be lucky to have him.

By unanimous vote, all of the female population in attendance thought that Raven should go after Kaldur—"You're perfect for each other! Quiet, dignified, and you're both interested in magic. Go for it, girl!" encouraged M'gann. Raven took a sip of tea and said, "Perhaps."

_**oOoOoOo**_

"Way to go Kaldur!"

Wally high-fived the leader, who was subtly blushing.

"Ask her out, A.L! No way she'd say no!"

Words of encouragement filled the small room. After they'd quieted, Kaldur promised that he'd think about it. He thought it wise not to mention that he and Raven _had, _in fact, been dating for quite some time; he'd even spent the night at her apartment a few times. Naturally, he wasn't going to reveal this to the other men; that wouldn't lead to anything except teasing and being pressed for details. Honestly, they hadn't done anything beyond making out on her couch and sleeping in the same bed.

_**oOoOoOo**_

It was Raven who noticed the problem. "Uh-oh. We're running low on provisions, girls. Who's up for a snack run?" Batgirl offered to raid the pantry, but pointed out something else. "We're low on sodas, too, and I can't carry everything by myself."

In the end, she and M'gann left for the kitchen. While they were gone, the girls talked about M'gann and Connor, school, their favorite celebrities, and etcetera. They debated Orlando Bloom versus Johnny Depp, Hugh Jackman versus Russell Crowe, _Harry Potter_ versus _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_, Superman versus Batman, regular bras versus push-up bras.

The guys were almost ready to call it quits when Batgirl returned with chips, Ding Dongs, cheese puffs, guacamole dip, chocolate, freshly-made popcorn, cheese and crackers, apple slices and caramel, and Twinkies. M'gann was fast behind her with cans of Coke and cherry Pepsi, root beer, and Mountain Dew. And it was time to resume Blast, something the guys were all too ready for. They'd trade humiliation over girl talk any day.

Kara said, "Back to Blast. You're turn, M'gann. Connor, of course!" All of the Cave's occupants, male and female alike, leaned forward, eager to hear what the Martian girl would say.

M'gann looked thoughtful for a moment before smiling. "I'd tell him to stop brooding and just kiss me already." There were murmurs of agreements among the women. "You two had better get together soon," Artemis advised her friend, "or I might just have to go after him myself."

For several minutes the girls debated the pros and cons of the clone, and for a while it looked like it might get ugly when Artemis brought up the topic of the male Kryptonian's skivvies. The blonde archer proposed that he wore black boxers—"They're classic and simple, and they fit with his whole dark-and-brooding thing."—while Batgirl argued they would be dark blue briefs, and Raven had to break up the beginnings of a nasty fight once someone asked who'd go check.

_**oOoOoOo**_

"Cat fight, cat fight, cat fight," Roy prayed, Wally and Robin rooting him on. Kaldur shook his head in disappointment—they gave men a bad name. Connor was caught somewhere between being confused and being flattered that the girls were fighting over him, and he must have decided to settle with flattered because he leaned back in his chair, sipped his Coke, and watched the fun unravel before him.

"I never knew girls could be such pervs," Robin mused aloud. The guys nodded in surprised agreement.

_**oOoOoOo**_

This led to a discussion about what types of skivvies the guys wore, a topic that the girls really got into very quickly. "What about Wally?" asked M'gann, smoothing her hair from the almost-cat fight.

Artemis laughed. "Baywatch? Ohh, hard one."

"Don't we all know it!" called out Batgirl, lifting her Mountain Dew can in the air. The girls all laughed at the double meaning while the guys groaned. Now they'd have to deal with a strutting Wally all night.

When they'd quieted down, Batgirl smirked. "I know for a fact that he likes boxers, particularly red ones, and he has a pair of Kid Flash boxers." This elicited a round of hoots and catcalls.

"How on _Earth _do you know _that_?" gasped Artemis. Batgirl laughed at the speedster's expense. "Sometimes he spends the night at the Batcave, and I've seen him half-naked more times than I can count."

More laughing. "Is it a good image?" Artemis asked, grinning. Batgirl nodded. "Oh yes. _Very _good."

_**oOoOoOo**_

Dick stared. He'd only heard of it happening in cartoons or in comics, never in real life. He hadn't thought it was medically feasible. But here was proof that it _was, _indeed, possible. Wally West had given himself a nosebleed from blushing the same color as his hair. It had to be some kind of rare medical feat, Dick was sure of it. The guys all started looking for something to help, but it was Roy who came up with the solution. He took the last Sprite from the cooler and had the speedster tilt his head back with the can behind his head.

"I don't know about you," Roy said, "but I'd be glad that a girl liked seeing me in my underwear that much. You're a lucky man, Wally."

Wally found a smile and went back to watching the show. It was like bad reality TV, but a hell of a lot funnier.

_**oOoOoOo**_

"Ooh, what about _Kaldur_? Any ideas, Raven?" Batgirl teased.

The violet-haired sorceress smirked. "He likes briefs, black ones." Kara raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued. "And just _how _do you know this juicy piece of information, dear Raven?" Her only answer was another smirk as she took a bite out of a chip.

"Yes, Kaldur, just how _does _she know that?" asked Roy.

The guys all stared at the leader, wondering how in hell Raven knew what type of underwear he liked. Kaldur had the decency to look sheepish; the blush tinted his chocolate skin even darker.

"Well, I—"

He was saved by the metaphoric bell coming in the form of Batgirl's turn at Blast. _Thank you, Poseidon._

_**oOoOoOo**_

Artemis said the only they'd all been waiting to hear. "What would you say to…Batman?"

Every girl froze in what was very akin to fright. Raven finally snapped out of it.

"Oh for Azar's sake, he's in Brazil hunting down that crime boss that escaped Gotham, remember? He isn't going to swoop down from the rafters and kill us for daring to picture him in his underwear!"

Batgirl looked at the psychic, still thoroughly freaked. "Are you sure? He does have a habit of popping up at the worst possible times. Believe me, I'd know," she said in a small voice.

Kara finally got tired of their apprehension. She stood up on the coffee table and called out, "I say he wears a pink silk thong with a matching corset!" She paused for them to get over their shock. "See? Nothing happened. Now someone please help me get that image out of my head!" Tentatively, the girls started to giggle and laugh.

Batgirl grinned. "No way! I want that to be the last thing you think of tonight before you go to sleep tonight. How's-*snort*-that for-*oh my god*-sweet dreams?" The female bat broke down in frenzied hilarity, going so far as to fall off the couch.

_**oOoOoOo**_

In the security room, the reactions were much the same. Robin was on the floor in convulsions, his face slightly blue from lack of air. Wally wasn't fairing much better—just the thought of what Batman would do if he ever caught wind of this made him want to pee his pants. Kaldur and Connor were supporting each other to keep from falling out of their chairs—it was too much. As for Roy, he'd had to make an emergency bathroom trip to keep from wetting himself.

It wasn't until Robin had calmed down that something horrible occurred to him. He stood up slowly and looked around at his friends.

"Guys? Count how many girls are in that room."

Kaldur responded first. "Five. Why?"

Robin nodded, an expression of dread passing over his face before coming back and camping there. "Exactly. _Which _five girls?"

"Artemis, M'gann, Batgirl, Supergirl, and Raven." The Atlantean still wasn't getting the point. Why did it matter what girls were—oh crap.

Robin nodded as the horror spread across the elder's features. There were five girls, Raven and M'gann among them. The security booth was lined with a special material to block psychic abilities—it was meant to be a safe house in case someone like Psimon invaded (or, more likely, Raven went rogue). However, Roy had just left for the bathroom, and he left the door open. M'gann was a telepath with a psychic radius of roughly half a mile; Raven was an empathy with an even further mental reach.

And they were less than twenty-five feet away from them with a huge breach in their security.

_**oOoOoOo**_

Raven froze, her eyes widening and her lips opening in a silent "o" as a new range of emotions lit up her radar—emotions belonging to people who were supposedly on a mission in Canada. Then her expression settled into one of quiet fury and she stood up and looked straight into the camera. The temperature in the Cave dropped about ten degrees. She knew. She could _feel _the sneaks, lighting up her mental radar like a Christmas tree. They had been watching and listening the whole time! _Oh Azar, _Kaldur _was watching the whole time! _She looked around at her fellow girls and clapped her hands.

"Ladies! I do believe we have a pest control problem."

_**oOoOoOo**_

Her eyes flashed white and the camera feed died—the camera had exploded into shards of plastic and circuitry. The male population froze in their seats, looks of identical terror etched on their faces. Every man in the room was having two similar thoughts. The first was, of course, "OH SHIT!" The second was a lot more jumbled and unique, but basically added up to the same thing: "ABANDON SHIP!"

A monitor screen flickered and went black.

Like a green light at NASCAR, it had every guy in the tiny security room panicking and running for their lives. They had no way to get them out fast enough; they'd have to run hell for leather through the Cave and down to the garage, where, with any luck, there were enough vehicles to get them all to safety, some five thousand miles away. Roy grabbed the door first, but yelped in pain and jumped back holding his hand like it had been burned. The door, made from four inches of solid steel, exploded into what seemed like a thousand pieces.

There stood the girls in all their glory. Artemis was wielding her bow, armed with an arsenal of wicked sharp arrows and an expression that would have melted butter in a skillet. Batgirl, probably the cause of the explosion, had her utility belt slung across her hips (_When did she get _that!_) _and a small armory at her disposal. M'gann was floating in the air, her hair swirling around her like a furious red cloud and an expression of pure fury on her pretty green face.

But what really scared them was Raven. She was levitating off the ground with a smile worthy of Satan, eyes glowing white and kimono whipping around her. Each hand was surrounded by an aura of black energy; behind her, a slew of seemingly random objects floated in the air, suspended by her telekinesis. She looked down on them all, and rang out like the female voice of God.

"You are _so_ dead."

**_~YJ~_**

**...I really have no idea what to say to that. Just please vote in my poll on my profile, point out any mistakes, and review! ~Reviews make me write faster~**

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	61. Crystalline

**_~YJ~_**

**061. Crystalline**

**Rating: T**

**_~YJ~_**

_The last two weeks have been the worst of our lives. And no, I'm not exaggerating._

_First, all communications were cut off from the Batcave. The Justice League assumed that Batman was just in an unusually bad mood and didn't want to be bothered; apparently, the date was significant, something about the anniversary of the first time Batman put the Joker behind bars in Arkham. No one worried. They started worrying when Robin didn't show up at the Cave for four days straight and Batman wasn't answering any of their communications, even on the emergency line for the League._

_The police commissioner's daughter, Barbara Gordon, was reported missing the next day; neither she nor Richard Grayson had been at school for days. Bruce Wayne never showed up at work, didn't answer any phone calls or pages, and neither did his second-in-command Lucius Fox. At the same time, Batman, Robin, and Batgirl had seemed to disappear. Crime rates in Gotham skyrocketed almost overnight once word got out that none of the Caped Crusaders were coming to stop the scum of the streets._

_It wasn't just Bruce Wayne, Richard Grayson, and Barbara Gordon who'd vanished—the Gotham police decided their disappearances were the latest in a string of mysterious disappearances that spanned the entire U.S: Kate Kane, Lois Lane, Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe, Leslie Thompkins, Renee Montoya, Henri Ducard, Hiro Okamura, and now the three in Gotham. All the missing persons had nothing apparent in common—until the League snooped deeper into the Bat-Computer files that ever before. Turns out, all of these people were associated with Bruce Wayne or Batman (sometimes both) at one point or another._

_We knew the shit had really hit the fan when a gigantic jack-in-the-bow hadn't shown up overnight on the roof of the Gotham PD Headquarters; when it was opened, the mannequin on the end of the oversized spring was wearing Rob's uniform. The League prohibited us from getting involved—they threatened to lock us all up in Belle Reve if we dared go off on a completely unauthorized, irresponsible, and dangerous rescue mission. So of course, we took off as soon as their backs were turned. That was our first mistake._

_Our second was not having seen this coming. In hindsight, we should have realized we were walking straight into a trap the moment Robin's locator was pinpointed at a warehouse owned by Oswald Cobblepot, aka the notorious Penguin. The Penguin had supposedly turned to the straight and narrow, but we should have expected the unexpected._

_The third mistake was not moving our asses when the toy clown car with a tiny Harley Quinn driving came around the corner, the Joker's head as an antenna head, or when we saw that half the warehouse was in disarray and the other was pristine. I suppose this was because we weren't as familiar with Batman's rogues gallery as we should have been, but we should have recognized the signs. Penguin, Joker, Two-Face—who could have predicted that they'd have teamed up? We should have. Turns out it's not _just _those three—Killer Croc, Bane, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, the Riddler, the Mad Hatter, Mr. Freeze, Scarecrow, and more I don't recognize. All of them joined forces to bring Batman and his network to its knees. I guess being the Batman means making a lot of enemies._

_We ended up being gassed—go figure—and when we woke up, we were each imprisoned in ways specific to our powers, strapped spread-eagle to slabs of steel and cuffed. Superboy is being contained by Kryptonite and steel, and if he had heat vision, the Joker would be a pile of smoking ashes. Miss Martian and Aqualad are trapped in prisons of fire and heat, and I'm not sure, but I think they're both unconscious. Artemis has been stripped of her bow and arrows and her left leg is definitely broken. As for me, Kid Flash? They've used some type of gravity manipulator to keep me from moving more than a few centimeters in any direction—it's pressing against me, tight and thick, and I can barely move, but I can speak. That'll have to be enough. There isn't anyone coming to save us, not like the time we were trapped in the base by the Reds. The JL doesn't know where we are, our locators are being jammed, and we don't even have Robin to come up with some crazy plan that would never work if we weren't us. We're on our own._

_We're on our own._

_We're on our own._

_Oh fuck, we are _so_ screwed._

Wally struggled against his bonds, but it was useless; he couldn't move more than a centimeter before gravity stopped him, and that didn't give him enough room to get any momentum. No momentum, no superspeed. It didn't look like the others were faring much better. Their individual hells were in a small area separated from a much larger room by a sheet of inch-thick, bulletproof glass (Wally assumed it was bulletproof, because the glass in the lairs of super villains tends to be bulletproof and the metal lined with lead); beyond that, it was nearly pitch black. The only shaft of light came from a spotlight shining down on a podium that reminded Wally of politics, complete with ridiculously oversized microphone. Standing behind it, looking immensely pleased with himself, was nothing other than the Joker.

Everyone was still conscious—at least, Wally _thought _they were conscious, though M'gann might really be unconscious—but they wouldn't be of any help. Connor was useless because of the Kryptonite, barely able to lift his head from his chest. Kaldur wasn't doing much better, the heat taking its toll on him, and Artemis just looked pissed, glaring at no one and everyone. Wally imagined that he looked similar, because he would like nothing better than to beat the shit out of the Joker and Co.

Speaking of the bastards…they were seated to the right of the young heroes, laughing and jeering from their places in the stands, having a good time at the heroes' expense. Fury burned in Wally, fury and self-hatred; how had they missed it? It was so obviously a trap, but they didn't catch it in time. If they had, they could have planned and found a way to rescue Robin and Batgirl and anyone else in the criminals' hands _without _all this happening. But they hadn't. How _stupid _had they been, playing right into the psychopaths hands?

The Joker tapped the microphone, sending a string of ear-splitting static through the speakers. Several of the villains swore and covered their ears; the Young Justice gang wasn't that lucky. Wally winced, grimacing at the sound. The Crown Prince of Crime cleared his throat.

"Welcome, scoundrels and psychos. We are gathered here today to watch as our plan to defeat the man who's been a caped thorn in all our sides for far too long comes to a climax! For weeks, we have planned and plot—."

Someone in the crowd—Wally recognized him as Two-Face—stood up and shouted angrily, "Just get on with it!"

The Joker, instead of snapping at his fellow psychopath, grinned and nodded. "Yessir, O Bifurcated One!"

The spotlight followed him as he bounded across the room and over to a giant, massively oversized control panel. _Maybe he's compensating for something._

"I hope everyone has their popcorn, because here are the stars of the show!"

The Joker pressed a button on the control panel, grinning in a way that made Wally very, very scared. Light flooded the room, and Kid Flash blinked away tears. Once he could see again without his eyes burning, he gaped at what he saw. The opposite wall resembled a giant bookshelf, shelf upon shelf behind glass. Each tier held five items: statues of people made of milky-blue stone—women, men, even teenagers. On each face was an expression of fear, terror, and panic. On a couple, the expression was of hatred and anger. It was disturbing, how real the statues looked.

_They're so lifelike. Whoever made them got the expressions just right…_

His eyes landed on one of the statues—the middle one on the center shelf. This statue's face wasn't etched in fear—his expression was of pure and absolute fury. His arm was raised, poised to hurl something—no, poised to hurl a _batarang. _It was a very realistic statue of Batman. KF could _totally _imagine the Dark Knight with that expression.

Actually, come to think of it, he'd _seen _the Dark Knight with than expression before…in that same position… When he realized the reality, he wished he hadn't. "No," he whispered, horrified._ Those aren't statues…they're real people, frozen into statues. It's a collection of _people_, and Batman's one of them. Holy shit. These guys made a Popsicle of Batman. _The _Batman!_

Wally had known that the room they were in was circular, but now he could see a broad conveyor belt running the circumference of the room, leading up to a large sprawl of complicated-looking machinery lit up like Christmas. Two figures stand near the machinery, holding semiautomatics with the Penguin's insignia on the side. Both were outfitted in full-body biohazard suits, which _so _didn't bode well for the fate of the YJ team. But that wasn't what scared Wally or made him want to yank out the Joker's lungs and tie them around his bone-white neck like fuzzy dice.

Standing on two elevated platforms on the conveyor belt was Robin and Batgirl, imprisoned within giant glass canisters. Both of their arms were encased in metal from their elbows down, hands and wrists immobilized by either steel or titanium; Robin's utility belt was missing, his cape was in tatters, and his uniform was torn and bloodstained. Robin's head snapped up when the light came on, and even through the mask, Wally could tell that Robin's eyes locked on him immediately. Wally inhaled sharply, his lunch threatened to make a reappearance, and his heart twisted; the Boy Wonder looked like hell had run him over, and a strip of duct tape was across his mouth. Batgirl wasn't fairing much better—her cape was hanging in shreds and she clearly favored one leg over the other.

"_Rob," _Wally whispered, that one word conveying all the horror and fear he felt. Robin was his best friend—how could this happen? Sure, Wally had known the risks of being a hero when he started, but it had always seemed like the Boogeyman. Something that _could _happen but _wouldn't. _But now it _had _happened. What did he do now? He knew where he was going to start.

He turned his eyes, furious and burning with utter loathing.

"You _bastard!"_

His voice echoed in the room, bouncing off the walls and the statues. Jeers and laughter rose from the crowd. The Joker, who had been ranting about how this was his biggest victory and how he had the "Boy Blunder and the Bat Brat" in the palm of his hand, turned and strode up to Wally's prison so fast he almost face-planted into the glass. His black and yellow eyes were narrowed into slits with fury, his face flushed with anger, and he snapped, "Shut your mouth!"

As quickly as he'd turned into the irate maniac, his joyful façade slid back into place and he patted the glass cheerfully.

"You're ruining my moment, Kiddie! I've waited _years _for this, so don't spoil it." His voice was jovial, but acid dripped from his words just as surely as if it had come from his acerbic floral pin. He turned back around and bounded back up to the podium. He tapped the microphone again, sending another blast of static.

"Let's get on with the show!" A goon dressed as a mime pulled a lever and the conveyor belt carried Batgirl and Robin along down the line towards the rig. A cackling Joker pressed the big red button with the smilie face on it, and a wall of glass slid up out of the floor, sealing Robin and Batgirl off from everyone else. Their bonds were released with a hiss, clattering to the floor.

The section was filled with a blast of white vapor; someone screamed—Wally wasn't sure who it was, but it might have been him. When the glass wall retracted into the floor and the smoke cleared, Kid Flash's worst fears were confirmed—his best friend was gone, frozen in place forevermore, and so was Batgirl. To give credit where credit was due, neither had let themselves be caught looking vulnerable. Batgirl had raised two fingers to her temple in a mock salute; her eyes were locked on the Young Justice team. Robin, of all things, was giving the Joker the middle finger and smirking. That was Robin for you, defiant to the very end.

The Joker cackled hysterically. "I did it! I pulled the greatest prank in history! I've turned all of the Bat's into _living statues!"_

The crowd of psychopaths, criminals, and nutjobs erupted in ecstatic cheering, clapping, whooping, etc. Wally thought his eardrums were going to rupture. Not that it mattered anymore. His best friend had been turned into an ice sculpture right before his eyes, and he had been helpless to do anything but watch. Hell, Robin was probably _dead _and Wally couldn't do jack shit about it except hate himself for being so fucking _useless! _He felt hot tears stinging his eyes and he ducked his head in a weak attempt to hide them from the bloodthirsty maniacs; he winced when the salty diamonds invaded the cuts and scrapes on his face, and hissed when a tear got into the cut on his lip.

_Dick…I'm so sorry. I'm so goddamned sorry…_

**_~YJ~_**

**_Inspired by the last few episodes of Teen Titans. On that note, did anyone else know that Greg Cipes, Beast Boy's VA, confirmed that there would be a 6th season of Teen Titans? The producers of Young Justice's wonderful predecessor have also confirmed this fact, and Season 6 is scheduled to return alongside a live-action movie in late 2012 or early 2013. I don't know how true this is, but here's hopin'!_**

**_Should I continue this for a second part or leave it at this? I can't decide. Choices, choices… What do you think?_**

**_As always, point out any mistakes I may have made and tell me what you think. Reviews are like gold to authors, and they make me write quicker. So, review! 3_**

**_Also, I noticed that my chapters keep getting longer. Weird...  
><em>**


	62. In The Storm

**_Continuation of "Crystalline"_**

**_~YJ~_**

**062. In The Storm**

**Rating: T**

**_~YJ~_**

There was a roaring in his head that drowned out the lively applause of those bastards—it took him a second to realize the harsh sound was blood pounding in his ears.

Wally prayed fervently that he was wrong, that Dick was still alive, because if Rob was still alive, then maybe they could find a way to reverse the process. That is, if any of them survived to go looking for help. This particular group of villains wasn't known for letting their prisoners live, and with these prisoners being who they were, it was even more unlikely.

Robin had been his best friend for years; they'd been nearly inseparable from the moment they'd been introduced by their mentors, in and out of costume. Robin had been the first superhero Wally had met that was around the same age, and the redhead had the sneaking suspicion that he had been Robin's first friend, period. Now he was gone, frozen in place forevermore. Wally could almost hear the Boy Wonder cackling gleefully in his head.

_Waitaminute…_

He turned his head best he could to look at his friends.

"Am I the only one who hears the laughing?"

**_~YJ~_**

**Yes, this one's shorter than the first. I'm gonna try to keep these pretty short from now on, but no promises. Also, the author's notes will be short to nonexistent. As I've said before, vote in the poll and review! Tell me if you want any specific characters to make an appearance. And point out any errors I might have made.**

**~Nagi Kokuyo**


	63. Dance

**_~YJ~_**

**063. Dance**

**Rating: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

Artemis growled and blew a strand of wavy blonde hair out of her face. She folded her arms and scanned the gymnasium. Why the hell did she come to this thing anyway? Oh, that's right, because it was part of her "see, I may have some anger management issues, but I'm a normal teenager, just like you" plan. That was the only reason she'd dressed in a cute, sparkly red camisole, black jeans, and red Converse and come to the damned dance. The thing about private schools was the kids go absolutely crazy when there's a special event and they get to be out of uniform. She figured it was because everything was so strict normally.

The black and white decorations, the flashing lights and pounding music; the girls huddled together in hoards of skimpy clothing, overdone make-up, and strappy shoes, and guys kicking around balloons and trying to strangle each other with the crepe-streamers. It was ridiculous, if Artemis did say so herself. The lights dimmed as the music turned slow and calm, and couples condensed together on the dance floor.

"Ahem." Someone cleared his or her throat right behind her. She turned, coming face-to-face with the kid who'd snapped a photo of them together her first day. He was holding out a hand.

"May I have this dance?"

She figured she'd regret it later, but against her better judgment, she took his hand and let him lead her onto the gym floor.


	64. Bracelet

**_~YJ~_**

**064. Bracelet**

**Rating: K**

**_~YJ~_**

"Hey, Miss M. What're you doing?"

"Hi, Robin. I'm working on a project."

"What is it?"

"It's a secret!"

"Why is it a secret?"

"That's a secret, too!"

"Oh-_kay_? You're no fun, you know that, right?"

"That's too bad."

It wasn't until Christmas two weeks later that Robin found out what M'gann's mysterious project was—handmade friendship bracelets for the team:

Black and two shades of blue (light and dark) for Kaldur

Red, blue, and black for Connor

Dark red, bright red, and yellow for Wally

Green, black, and yellow for Artemis

Black, red, and yellow for Robin

And green, red, and blue for herself.

Looking back on it years later, Nightwing couldn't think of a time when he didn't wear that bracelet.


	65. Beyond

**_This chapter will have several continuity errors, namely a very unfortunate time traveler._**

**_I am choosing to ignore this._**

**_I've been dying to write this one; actually, I'm thinking of making a separate fic out of it. Anyway, I'm glad I finally made it. Hope you enjoy. _**

**_~YJ~_**

**065. Beyond**

**Rating: T**

**_~YJ~_**

Robin stared at the man sitting in the holding cell. No, not man—judging from his physique, he couldn't be much older than Roy, despite the red insignia on his chest. He was dressed in a black uniform with a red bat on his chest; there was no cape, the ears were too long, and the mask completely covered his face. When Artemis had tried to remove his mask, she'd gotten shocked with enough electricity to send her flying across the room. After that, they'd called the Justice League and locked him in a holding cell before he woke up from the sedative Robin shot him with.

He'd woken up ten minutes before the JL arrived and promptly examined his cell with a scrutiny worthy of the Question. When he'd been apparently satisfied, he plopped down in the chair casually with one leg over an arm and the rest of his body falling over the other. It was unprofessional and sloppy and…and _teenager-ish_! Then, incredulous as it sounds, he started whistling. _Whistling._

Wally shook his head. "This has to be some kind of joke. No way _he's _Batman_, _even in the future_. _That's like saying Lex Luthor will be elected President."

Robin couldn't agree more. If this fraud really _was _Batman in who-knows-how-many-years, he imagined that Bruce was turning in his grave knowing that an amateur like this was running around using his name. How dare he pretend to be the Dark Knight? Did this imposter have any idea what that name meant? Robin always assumed that when Bruce died, _he _would take up the mantle of Batman to honor him; did this fool mean that Dick had been cheated out of that?

Batman—_his _Batman—stood behind him, seemingly oblivious to his protégé's inner turmoil, as Flash and Green Arrow attempted to get some answers out of the teenager. The Fake-Batman seemed to find this all very amusing, up until the point where they'd asked him to remove his mask. Then he'd laughed—it was obviously forced—and told them that he preferred having his body parts where they were, thank you very much. So far, all the imposter Batman had said was:

He was Batman from the future;

Somehow, he'd been thrown into the past, though he wouldn't say how far;

And

Someone named Max was going to murder him, if the "old man" didn't whack him first.

Green Arrow pinched the bridge of his nose, looking exasperated. Flash handed him some aspirin.

"Let me see if I've got this right. You're the future Batman, but you won't tell us what year you're from. You have no idea how you were sent back to the past, only that it happened right after you lost to a villain named Bombshell, and you have no idea how to get back. You won't tell us your name, how old you are, when or where you were born, or how you became Batman. Presumably, our Batman is still alive, because when you said 'old man,' I assume you're referring to the present Batman. You also can't tell us anything about the future because it could damage the timelines, so there's no way to prove you're actually from the future. Did I miss anything?"

The Bat-Fake, as Robin decided to call him, was silent for a moment before saying jovially, "You forgot the part where you all think I'm a lying punk with a lot of guts and not a lot of smarts. Oh, and I _did _beat Bombshell, with only first-degree burns, too. I call _that_ a good day. Well, you know, up until I part where I got sling-shoted back here."

Flash snorted. "And you expect us to believe this crap?"

Bat-Fake shrugged. "Eh, not really. That's why you have the Martian Manhunter behind that glass trying to read my mind. It won't work, by the way. After I had an unfortunate and embarrassing encounter with a psychic, modifications were made to the suit to block telepaths from getting in my head. Unless I take off this mask, you can't get bupkes outta there."

Green Arrow leaned closer, trying and failing to be intimidating.

"So then just take off the mask and we'll find out if you're telling the truth or lying your ass off. It's not like any of us will recognize you, if you really _are _from the future."

Bat-Fake opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again. "That's…actually a fair point." He gestured to the glass. "Still, if I take off this mask, _you're _Batman will know, which means _my _boss will know and as soon as I get back to _my _time, he'll run me ragged until I'm falling asleep on my feet. You think he's bad _now, _wait until he's an old geezer. The paranoia and cynicism only gets worse. You're Bat has nothin' on mine."

The door to the holding cell slid open with a hiss. Green Arrow and Flash tensed, expecting Bat-Fake to make a break for it, and everyone waiting behind the glass readied to attack if he did—everyone but Batman. Actually, Bat-Fake didn't move. His eyes, slants of white against the black of his mask, narrowed as the Martian Manhunter entered the interrogation room. He asked one question, five words that would change the course of what happened next.

"Why did you become Batman?"

Bat-Fake nodded.

"Gotham—_my _Gotham—is so much worse than anything you've seen yet. After the original Batman hung up the cape and cowl, crime spiked. The Commish and the police try to keep order, but they can't be everywhere at once. Gangs, drugs, crooked businessmen, the Mob, prostitution, psychopaths with superpowers—you name it, Gotham capitalizes in it. I was a bad kid once. Ran with a rough crowd, did some things to say nothin' in my folks' hearts. The state says that my time in juvie wiped me clean; my conscience tells me different."

He stood up and pulled off the mask. Messy black hair, determined blue eyes; something about his face was familiar, but Robin couldn't place it. He was probably sixteen/seventeen, maybe a little older.

"At first, I became Batman to bring retribution to my father's killer. But after that…I decided to continue being Batman for redemption. Maybe being Gotham's Dark Knight will make up for past sins. I've fought living ink, a radioactive psychopath, a new incarnation of the Royal Flush Gang, the future Mr. Freeze, the best assassins in the world, the Cult of Kobra, splicers, and the Joker come back from the dead. Believe me, if I didn't believe that the world needed Batman, I would have gotten the hell out of Dodge as soon as my dad's murderer got what he deserved. But Gotham will always need a Batman to look after it, and I plan on doing it for as long as I'm up to the job."

There was silence. Robin couldn't believe what he was hearing. Maybe—just _maybe—_this guy was for real. After hearing that, the bird could understand why Bruce would let him be Batman. Still, he didn't have to like it. Batman pressed a button on the control panel.

"I believe him."

Future-Batman (if Bruce believe this kid, so did Robin) grinned. "Now that we have _that _cleared up…can I have a sandwich? I'm starving!"

**_~YJ~_**

**Should I continue this, make it into a separate fic and continue it, or what?**


	66. School

**_~YJ~_**

**066. School**

**Rating: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

An envelope. It all started with an envelope. No, that's not quite right—it started with _four _envelopes. Four envelopes, too much grant money, and a certain executive'smorbid sense of humor. Honestly, he already had to deal with Artemis—what the hell was Bruce _thinking, _bringing the others to his school? Sure, the official reason (but still known only to him, the heroes, Bruce, the principal, and the commissioner) for the sudden transfers was his protection—Two-Face had escaped from Arkham (_again_) and given his history with Bruce Wayne and rantings the asylum staff had overheard, Richard Grayson was a target—but wasn't this going a _biiiit _overboard?

Dick was jerked out of his inner musings (see: rantings) by Bette shaking his shoulder. "Hel-_lo, _Dick! Anyone home?"

He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry. Lost in thought for a sec. What were you saying?"

He forced the words out, hoping that she didn't notice how tight his voice was, how his teeth were gritted and his fists clenched behind his back. Next to him, Barbara rolled her eyes—she knew him well enough to know how irritated this made him.

Standing across from him in the admin office was Kaldur, Wally, M'gann, and Supey; all dressed in Gotham Academy uniforms. He'd had to stifle a laugh the first time he saw them—they just looked so _uncomfortable, _especially Wally and Kaldur. For the sake of their pride and his identity, he chose to swallow the snickers that threatened to escape and reminded himself that he was Richard "Dick" Grayson, not Robin, and the second they heard him laugh, they'd put a name to a face and piece it together.

He was assigned to "Kal Durham" and Wally, Barbara teamed up with "Megan Morse", and Bette took "Connor Kent" (big surprise). His job was to give them a tour of the school, show them the ropes, and hope to God that they didn't make the connection between Dick and Robin. As he led them out of the front office and towards the East Wing, he sighed and plastered a smile he hoped they wouldn't see through on his face.

Oh yes, this was going to be "fun," he could tell. Maybe he should just save Two-Face the trouble and impale himself with a fork.

Probably be less painful.


	67. Danger Ahead

**_~YJ~_**

**067. Danger Ahead**

**Rating: T**

**_~YJ~_**

They had been pinned against a wall for nearly ten minutes now.

His hands were running along the curves of her bodacious body, his lips moving against hers. Their tongues danced fervently in a battle for dominance, heat and passion driving their actions. Heat pooled in the pit of his stomach, and below. He was kissing her so roughly it was sure to leave bruises. Her soft blonde hair tickled his cheeks, smelling of almonds and strawberries, a strange but not unpleasant mix.

Her hands were tangled in his flaming hair, one of her ankles hooked around the back of his. She could feel his ribs chest against her chest; his hands fit perfectly into the small of her back. Her head was spinning, her heart pounding in her chest, and she never wanted it to end. She moaned in pain and pleasure, one of her hands leaving his hair to trace down his muscled back and firmly squeeze his ass. They both know that they won't go further than making out—at least not tonight—but that certainly doesn't mean they couldn't indulge in some harmless groping.

As his hand dipped under her top to ghost across her flat stomach, somewhere in the back of his mind, Logic was shouting at him, _What the FUCK are you DOING? DANGER, DANGER, DANGER!_

He closed and locked the door and threw away the key. Maybe this _was _dangerous; for sure, _she _was dangerous.

But maybe he _liked _danger. It always made things more interesting.


	68. Lead

**_~YJ~_**

**068. Lead**

**Rating: K**

**_~YJ~_**

Superboy had hoped that when (or if) his X-ray vision came in, he'd be able to see through the Boy Wonder's mask and sunglasses. The only teammates who'd seen Robin's eyes were Wally and Kaldur, both under extenuating circumstances. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't just a little jealous, so he was counting on the new power to key him into this little secret. He wondered what color they'd be—blue like his own, green like Kid Flash's, brown like M'gann's, or something entirely different, like Kaldur's. Were they pale in color or dark? Expressive or deadpan, like he imagined Batman's eyes were? That was another thing he was looking forward to—finding out what Batman looked like under the cowl.

Superboy was so looking forward to his X-ray vision and all that it would bring—a new edge in training missions, something useful to get one up on villains, maybe something to help him get the upper hand in the "hide and seek" games M'gann liked. Plus, it would bring him that much closer to living up to his name; maybe Superman would acknowledge him once Superboy was more like his namesake.

So when he discovered that he _still _couldn't see through Batman and Robin's masks, he was understandably disappointed. He should have seen it coming; of course Batman would be paranoid enough to line their masks (and Robin's sunglasses, apparently) with lead.


	69. Keeping a Secret

**_~YJ~_**

**069. Keeping a Secret**

**Rating: T**

**_~YJ~_**

_No. No, no, no, nononono! __This can_not _be happening! Not like this._

Dick remembered his training and tried to squish the panic attack that threatened to overcome him, but it took some effort. His eyes flitted from his friends' accusing stares to the staircase leading back up to normalcy. _Maybe if I… _"Don't even _think _about it," Superboy interrupted, putting himself between the little bird and escape. _Okay, so not that way, but I know this place _way_ better than they do. If I can… _

He threw that plan away too. He'd known way back when the team was established that he'd have to tackle this hurdle, but he wasn't ready yet. He wasn't ready for them to know the truth about him and his past. Dick had known from the very beginning that this whole thing was a bad idea. So what if someone had tried to kill him (_and almost succeeded_, his subconscious whispered)?

When Bruce had told him that "Batman" had assigned the Young Justice team to guard him, he'd almost choked on his toast. He'd run a quick list through his head of the things he'd done lately to deserve this, but the worst he could think of was leaving his midnight snack dishes in the sink overnight. If only that was the worst. He was seriously going to have to talk to Bruce about moving the entrance to the Batcave—also, the damned button in the bust was too predictable and clichéd. That damned button was how he got into this mess. As five sets of eyes bore into him, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, wishing he were anywhere else.

How the _hell _was he supposed to keep a secret when his friends were so damn nosy?


	70. Sacrifice

**_~YJ~_**

**070. Sacrifice**

**Rating: T**

**_~YJ~_**

If one of them stays on the pressure plate, the stack of plastic explosives wouldn't go off and the compound stayed in one piece long enough for the others to escape. And if the one with the greatest chance of surviving the explosion (just in case) stayed behind, it reduced the risk of death for the others. However, if the one with the greatest chance of surviving the explosion stays behind, he will be unable to help his teammates escape the compound and the risk of death for the others goes up. If they all stay behind, then the timer on the explosives ticks down to zero and they all go up in a ball of fiery death. If they're lucky, they'll be incinerated instantaneously and won't feel a thing. If they aren't lucky, they'll feel every moment of agony. If they all go and leave something on the plate to offset the weight, the guards will break down the door, remove whatever they left, and they all go up in the aforementioned fireball.

No one says everything; they've all done the math and they've all come to the same conclusion—one of them will have to stay behind if the others are to get any chance of survival. They only have a minute tops to decide who has to stay, but no one wants to say it, because then this becomes real and they have to acknowledge the cold, hard truth—one of them will have to die. Robin is the first person to break the silence.

"I'll stay."

Everyone starts talking at the same time:

"No, Rob, you can't!"

"Are you crazy, suicidal, or just have a death wish, Bird Boy?"

"Robin, we'll think of something else."

"You'll die!"

And etcetera, ad nauseum. Robin waited for their protests to subside before explaining. He'd compiled everything he knew about the situation and come to the most logical conclusion: he was the one who'd have to stay behind.

"Don't you get it do you? You don't need me, just my gear." He unstrapped the computer from his arm and held it out. "Take my computer and get out. Whether you want to admit it or not, I'm the most expendable. This makes the most sense."

Behind his mask, his eyes were hard and cold—this was true. Out of the six of them, he was the most disposable. They didn't need him to escape; they could use his computer to unlock the doors without his help. Someone had to stay behind so not to set off the trigger plate. They would need Miss M to play scout and scan for enemies waiting for them, Superboy's super strength and super speed to clear the path to freedom, Kaldur to keep the guards off their backs, Artemis to take care of any guards that get too close to M'gann or any guards that Kaldur happened to miss, and Wally to run up ahead and open the doors so they could continue without waiting at each door. Robin was the only one who could stay behind so the others had a chance.

Finally, as if moving on autopilot, Wally reached out and clasped the computer; he waited a moment, a silent message passing between the two boys, before Robin let it go. He showed Wally how to use it and explained what he would have to do; no one else spoke. The air hung heavy on them all; Wally's eyes stung as he listened to Dick's instructions. His stomach was tying itself in knots and his chest hurt from swallowing his sobs. At last, they were ready to go. Time was running out and the Young Justice team would need every second they could get. Robin clasped hands with Superboy, Kaldur, and Artemis, and he briefly hugged M'gann. Finally it was just him and Wally. They had been best friends for so long—they were a team of two, and both of them had thought it would always be that way—but this was their last time together. They both knew that Robin would not be walking away from this. Wally stepped forward and pulled the younger hero into a tight hug, burying his nose in the silky black hair and holding his friend in a firm grip; Robin held onto him just as closely, hoping that time will stop and let them stay in this moment.

Robin looked at all of them and smiled, ignoring the way his vision was going blurry and his throat felt tight. He lifted his hand to his temple in a salute. His voice was strained.

_"_Ladies and gentlemen, it's been an honor. Now, _run."_

His voice hung in the air as the team ran towards freedom, ready to face whatever enemies and security was waiting for them. They were halfway up the stairs between the third and second floors when the timer maxed out. Standing alone on the plate twelve floors below, Robin closed his eyes and spoke one word before the explosives detonated and a massive fireball overtook the basement, blasting towards the upper levels:

_"Goodbye."_

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Two weeks later, Wally stood with his teammates in the cemetery as the coffin was lowered into the ground. This was wrong. Robin loved being up in the air, whether it was throwing himself off a building, swinging on his grapple, or flying through the air on the trapeze. He would never want to be buried underground; he would _hate _it. They're all there—the Justice League, the Gotham commissioner and his daughter (who hasn't stopped crying the entire time), Roy, and a lot of people that Wally doesn't recognize. Everyone is in black…except for Wally and the Young Justice team. When the League had asked them why they showed up for the funeral in their everyday clothes, Wally explained to them calmly that Robin wouldn't have wanted them to dress up in those monkey suits to mourn him. He would have wanted them to remember him as who he was—a friend, a teammate, a good hero. There were no more objections.

It was a nice funeral, but Wally didn't hear any of it. He stood there, clutching the computer in one hand and a red rose in the other, and watched as the coffin of a thirteen-year-old boy named Dick Grayson was lowered into the ground.

The epitaph was engraved on the headstone in Gothic letters:

_Richard "Dick" Grayson_

_November 11th 1998-XXXXXX XX 2011_

_Son, brother, friend, teammate, confidant, ninja_

_A true friend, a gifted acrobat, and loved by all who knew him_

_It's been an honor_

_Rest in Peace, little Robin_

When it was his turn, Wally approached the hole in the ground and stared down at his friend's coffin. He tossed the rose—red, to signify courage and respect—into the wood and smiled through his pain.

"You're my best friend, Rob. I can't even tell you how much I'll miss you, but I guess you know that already, huh?" His throat felt thick and his eyes stung—Wally realized that his cheeks were wet. He stood up and looked down at the grave of his best friend. Artemis put an arm around him and tossed in her own rose—hers was yellow, signifying friendship.

He looked up at the sky.

"It's raining."

The sky was cloudless.

**_~YJ~_**

**Is it bad that I'm crying as I write this? Before I short out my keyboard, you know the drill. Favorite, review, alert, vote, etc. *sniff***

**~Nagi**


	71. Prison

**_This will be the last update for a while—damned school._**

**_~YJ~_**

**071. Prison**

**Rating: T**

**_~YJ~_**

_BELLE REVE, NEW ORLEANS_

Artemis lifted her arms, spread her legs, and resisted the urge to slam the prison guard's head into the metal detector as he wanded her. They took her backpack, cell phone, and equipment, and locked them away in a safe behind the desk. _No turning back now, _she thought as she was cleared. Wally had offered to go with her—actually, so had Kaldur, Connor, Robin, _and _M'gann. But this was something she had to do on her own. It was a long time coming. She followed the guard as he led her through the prison, her sneakers squeaking on the tile. She glanced around as they walked and she had to admit, from what she could see through open doors and windows, it all looked very depressing.

It wasn't long before they stopped in front of an unmarked door. "You have forty-five minutes." And then he opened the door and she walked through. Her dark grey eyes locked with those of the person behind the bulletproof glass. It was too late for second thoughts, but not too late for second chances. She took a seat across from Cheshire and picked up the receiver on her side. She held it to her ear and said, "Hey."

Cheshire nodded. "Hey. What are _you _doing here?" Her tone wasn't so much accusing as it was confused. Apparently, she hadn't expected Artemis to come visit her in prison.

"I wanted to see you. How are you?"

Cheshire shrugged. "Meh. The food could be better and my roommate's a bitch, but it could be worse, I guess."

That wasn't what Artemis had meant and she knew it, but the assassin just didn't have an answer for what her sister _really _wanted to know. She was still pretty confused about it herself. She knew that she didn't want to go back to the League of Shadows again, but other than that, she really wasn't good at anything. She was a thief and an assassin, plain and simple, and she didn't really know anything else. Even if the prison psychiatrist declared her sane and ready to rejoin society, and she was released from Belle Reve, she had no future. The Justice League would never trust her. She realized her little sister was still talking.

"You're lucky, you know?" Artemis was saying. "The DA wanted the death penalty, but the League managed to convince the judge out of it. It's not even life in prison."

Cheshire rolled her eyes and snorted. "Yeah, just twenty years. It might as well be life. Face it sis, even with good behavior I'm not getting out of here any time soon."

Artemis smiled—actually smiled—for the first time. Cheshire looked confused. "What are _you _so happy about?"

"That was the first time you've called me 'sis' since you left."

Cheshire realized that Artemis was right, and that just made her feel worse.

**_~YJ~_**

**This might sound like a strange request, but recently I went looking for a story I read a while ago and loved. I didn't have an account then, so I couldn't favorite it, and now I can't remember the name. This sucks, because it's one of my favorites and now I can't find it. The story's multi-chaptered, rated T. Beast Boy cheats on Raven by sleeping with Terra, and Raven walks in on them. She loses it and tries to kill herself by drowning. But Aqualad finds her before the ocean gets her and takes her back to Titans East, where she decides to stay undercover because _her _team thinks she's dead.**

**Anyone have any idea what story I'm talking about? I can't for the life of me remember it's name or the author, so unless anyone knows the fic, I'm SOL.**


	72. Lesson One

**_~YJ~_**

**072. Lesson One**

**Rating: T**

**_~YJ~_**

Artemis growled into her bowl of rocky road. Saying she was pissed was an understatement. It was more like explosive. She was ready to self-combust she was so agitated. Jumbled thoughts swirled around in her head like furious hornets, but the most common was _God DAMMIT. _Why was Artemis wound up tighter than Batman in a supervillain convention? The answer was infuriatingly simple:

Gotham Academy Homecoming was Friday night. This wouldn't have been so bad, except…she couldn't slow dance. Well, it wasn't so much that she couldn't dance to slow songs as…no, that was it—she couldn't dance to slow songs. And being the "new girl," she didn't want to make a fool of herself. Of course, she didn't have a date, so she wouldn't even be _going _to the stupid dance if it weren't crucial to her "See, I might have some anger management issues but I'm normal, just like you" plan.

"Hey, Artemis. What's up?"

The blonde girl flung a spoonful of ice cream at her teammate, scowling. "Whoa!" Robin ducked the half-melted projectile, which splattered across the wall. He surveyed the mess. "You're gonna have to clean that up, you know?"

The younger Gothamite grabbed a Pepsi out of the fridge and slid into the seat next to her. "You seem distraught. What's wrong with you?"

She glared at him. "I don't want to talk about it."

_…Ten minutes later…_

"And my other hand goes here," said Robin, moving his hand to her waist. She ignored how her body tingled where he touched her and tried not to dwell on the height difference between them; the top of his head barely reached her chin. Music played from his computer, filling the lounge with Secondhand Serenade's _Your Call. _As he led her through the steps, she did her best to ignore how close they were, how she could feel his hair tickling her nose, how she could feel the heat of his body through their clothes. She ignored how her heart skipped beats when she _failed_ to ignore all that was previously mentioned, how she kept noticing tiny things about him—like how she could see over the top of his glasses and his eyes were _really, really blue_…and staring right at her.

His lips lifted up in a smile, and the next thing she knew, he was kissing her. She realized how soft and gentle his lips were against hers. A hand brushed her arm as it moved up to cup her cheek. There was the brush of his tongue against her bottom lip, asking for entrance, and she realized that, without meaning to, she was giving it to—

"Ahem."

The spell was broken by the clearing of a throat, and she jumped back, color rising to her cheeks. Kaldur was standing in the entrance to the lounge, a single pale eyebrow raised in question. Artemis hurried to explain, stumbling over her words in her embarrassment. "I—he was—dance—it isn't what you think!"

Wow. Robin had never seen Artemis turn that shade of red before; it clashed horribly with her uniform, and not in that awful Christmas-y way that happens every year in December and makes people want to strangle everyone wearing those pudgy red and green reindeer sweaters than make them look like discolored marshmallows.

"You need not explain anything to me. As long as your relationship does not affect team missions, then I do not see how it is any of my business." Kaldur looked like he wanted to be anywhere _but, _and Robin couldn't really blame him. Artemis looked like she about ready to implode and explode at the same time.

"We are _not _in a relationship! He's _thirteen_, for cryin' out loud!" "Hey!" She ignored Robin's indignant cry. How _dare _Kaldur imply that she was interested in the little weasel?

"He was teaching me how to dance! There is _nothing _going on between us!" she protested, stamping her foot. Yes, it was juvenile, but _damn_, it pissed her off. What pissed her off even more was that she'd _wanted _to kiss him again.

"Sure, whatever you say, Artemis."

Artemis flushed an even deeper crimson and with a mortified shriek, she sprinted past Kaldur and Robin and disappeared into the mountain. Robin grinned and watched her flee, trying not to break down laughing. He met Kaldur's eyes and smirked appreciatively. Who knew the older teen had the nerve?

"Kaldur…I didn't know you had it in you. You're evil, man. Pure evil."

Amusement danced in the Atlantean's silver dollar eyes, conflicting with the innocent words that came next.

"I do not know what you mean."

**_~YJ~_**

**Oh my god, I am SOOO sorry! I swear I haven't abandoned this collection, I've just been really busy! This took WAAAY longer than it should have and I am so sorry about that! Halloween's coming up, so what do you think about a Halloween-themed shot? **

**What costumes should the team wear? Tell me what costumes each character should wear and I'll pick my favorites for the story. Also, if you're dressing up for Halloween, what are YOU going as? On my end, I'm cosplaying as Chrome Dokuro (you either know who she is or you don't) and like eight of my friends are dressing up as Weeping Angels. Guess who got "volunteered" as the victim? Yes, that's right, moi. I am not thrilled, for I did not get a choice in this, and now on Monday, I will have eight people coming after me. This should be fun! *voice dripping with sarcasm* NOT!**

**~Nagi Kokuyo**

**(those of you who know Chrome-chan, _please_ tell me you get the reference)**


	73. Gaming

**_~YJ~_**

**073. Gaming**

**Rating: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

"You can't pass me, you can't pass m—_you passed me!"_

Robin's face was a picture of concentration as he ran Wally's latest challenge to his video game supremacy into the ground, the humiliating scene playing out on his glasses. Wally growled as he tried to get back in the lead. His hopes died with a rear-dropped bomb from the back of Robin's car, and they were buried when _his _car went up in flames. The redhead threw up his arms in mock fury.

"How the _hell _do you always beat me?"

Robin shrugged, jumping to his feet and stretching. "Because I'm awesome like that, and you suck at this game." He looked thoughtful. "Actually, you suck at any game, but this one especially."

Wally growled and, faster than Robin could react, leapt at his best friend's legs, sending the younger boy tumbling down to the ground with a surprised yelp. The speedster was on him in milliseconds, one hand pinning his wrists to the lounge floor and the other moving in quick towards his sides. His nimble fingers danced across Robin's ribs, reducing the Boy Wonder to giggles.

From the doorway, Connor shook his head and walked away. He would never understand those two.

_**~YJ~**_

__**I probably won't be updating for a while because of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), which I am participating in. 50,000 words by the end of November and I'm only at 7,000, so I have to focus on that for now. But no worries! I haven't abandoned this story yet! I'm still determined to hit 100 eventually.**


	74. Mentor

**_~I'M BAAAAAACK!~_**

**This one-shot assumes that Kaldur and Raven have not met and Girls' Night In has not happened. Takes place between "Failsafe" and "Disordered." I am so sorry it has been this long since I've updated, but I've been working on NaNoWriMo and that's been taking up my time.**

**And yes, this chapter replaced "Heat Wave," because it was pissing me off and I really didn't like it. Any objections? I didn't think so.  
><strong>

**_~YJ~_**

**074. Mentor**

**_~YJ~_**

M'gann fiddled with her skirt, a million thoughts racing through her head at one time. Her uncle had only said that he'd found her a tutor to help her gain control of her powers, someone more powerful than him. Her heart was racing, and she suspected that if she were human, she would be perspiring. Her uncle was incredible skilled; she could only imagine who could possibly exceed him.

_O Unnamable One, let me succeed._

Around her stood her teammates, their support filtering through their mental link, but it didn't help to quell her anxiety.

_RECOGNIZED: MARTIAN MANHUNTER 07_

The tension in the room skyrocketed as the Martian Manhunter arrived through the Zeta Beam. He turned and started to enter an authorization, but before he could complete it, a voice filled the Cave. It was female, young, and none of the team recognized it.

"Don't bother."

A swirling black and blue vortex opened up in the floor before them, and as a cloaked figure rose up from it, the temperature in the Cave seemed to drop ten degrees. The portal closed under her feet, shrinking to a pinprick until it disappeared. Two purple eyes stared out at them from under a hood that concealed the face of the newcomer, the only features visible. She scanned the faces of the teen heroes, eyes revealing nothing. Finally, her eyes landed on M'gann, and the Martian girl shivered as she felt something poking and prodding at her mental defenses.

It felt strange, like nothing M'gann had felt before; it was ominous, vast, dark and light, old and new at the same time…it was _otherworldly. _The probe didn't try to penetrate her shields, but M'gann knew instinctively that if the new girl had wanted to, she could punch through M'gann's best defenses like tissue paper. The energy that ran through that girl was incredible and wild, more powerful than anything M'gann had encountered before, and she doubted that she would find anyone else ever again with that much power running through his or her veins.

Pale grey hands reached up and brushed back the hood. Her skin was the color of the full moon, pale and grey, and her eyes—oh, those _eyes. _They pierced straight through to M'gann's heart, and the green-skinned girl could see pain and loneliness and knowledge older than time in those eyes. Her face told M'gann that she couldn't be much older than Artemis or herself, but then, looks could be deceiving—M'gann was living proof of that.

Martian Manhunter cleared his throat.

"Everyone, this is Raven. She has kindly agreed to train M'gann and help her gain control over her telepathy," he said.

Kaldur stepped forward, holding out his hand towards Raven. She disregarded it, and he shifted uncomfortably, pressing forward. "It's nice to meet you. I am—"

She held up a slim, pale, perfectly manicured hand and said in a monotonous voice that never wavered, "Don't. I am here for one reason and one reason only, and that is to prevent your teammate from having another mental breakdown. I felt the psychic shockwaves all the way in Manhattan, and if it happens again, she could quite possibly tear a hole in reality, which would be a pain in the ass for me to fix. Seeing as how I don't feel like cleaning up her messes, it's in everyone's best interests if I help her get power under control. I'm not your teammate, I'm not your friend, and I'm not your ally. I am, however, apparently the supernatural janitor."

She turned her attention to M'gann, seemingly oblivious to the gash she'd just made in Kaldur's pride.

"Let's get started."


	75. Dinner

**_~YJ~_**

**075. Dinner**

**Rating: T**

**_~YJ~_**

Okay, this was awkward. Ollie was seriously starting to wonder if he shouldn't just call the whole thing off…but, no, it was too late for that. It wouldn't be long before curses and biting insults were being thrown (and, more than likely, accompanied by dishes and silverware), and then all hell would break lose. He idly wondered how much it would cost to remodel his penthouse…

He shook himself out of his thoughts and observed the scene before him. His two protégés were seated across from each other (not his brightest idea, looking back on it), and if looks could kill, they would both be smoldering piles of ashes. It was a marvel in of itself that Ollie had managed to convince Roy to come to Thanksgiving dinner—though it might have something to do with not telling him Artemis and her mother were coming. It wasn't technically a lie, per se—more of an omission, really. Still…

He cleared his throat, drawing their attention to the head of the table. Across from him was Paula Crock, Roy and Artemis between her and Ollie—so what if they weren't the traditional family? It wasn't like Artemis's father was going to be making an appearance, so inviting her and her mother was the least he could do for her.

"So…" he started, trying to break the tension, "Roy, how have you been?"

His ex-ward looked for a moment as if he wasn't going to respond, but then he said gruffly, "Fine. I found a cheap apartment close to the Zeta Beam. Still looking for a job, but…" He shrugged, stabbing his turkey.

Artemis smirked. "No surprise there."

Roy shot her a glare and opened his mouth to say something, but Paula cut him off before he could start World War III. "Artemis, be nice," she chided, looking meaningfully at her daughter.

Artemis scowled, glaring at her plate. "Yes, Mom," she muttered.

Roy snickered and said something along the lines of "sucker," and earned a wad of mashed potatoes to the forehead. This was rivaled by him beaming a roll off Artemis's head. Before it could escalate into a full-fledged food fight, Ollie intervened. "Okay, okay! Settle down you two! I don't want to have to redecorate." He silently added, _again. _The last time he'd put his two protégés in one place, it had been the equivalent of setting off a nuclear bomb in his living room.

When they cooled down, he turned his attention to Artemis. "How are you fitting in with the team? Any problems?"

Artemis swallowed a bite of buttered roll (_Is that the same roll Roy hit her with?)._ "Other than M'gann and Connor dating behind my back and Kaldur keeping the mole thing a secret, everything's _just fine," _she said, unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

Paula raised an eyebrow and set her eating utensils down. "Anything you'd like to discuss, Artemis?"

The blonde archer shook her head. "No, Mom." It was evident by her tone that she didn't want to talk about it; Paula didn't pursue the topic, though she made a mental note to revisit the subject later.

Ollie swooped in and changed the subject quickly, averting the conversation topic to archery. It wasn't long before both Roy and Artemis were deep into a discussion about different types of bowstrings, signaling the end of dinner. Ollie and Paula retreated to the kitchen to wash dishes. They were talking about politics—Ollie was very left wing, while Paula was more Republican—and Ollie finally let himself relax.

Perhaps it wasn't as bad as he'd originally thought…

_"What did you call me?"_

_CRASH!_

Ollie sighed and shook his head; next to him, Paula did the same.

_Never mind._


	76. Lottery of Life

**_~YJ~_**

**076. Lottery of Life**

**Rating: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

The saying goes that you can't choose your family; Robin would be the first to tell you that in fact, yes, you _can. _That is simply because he had done just that, though not always intentionally.

His family was a strange mix, assimilated over the years and still constantly growing. It started when he was an eight-year-old, newly orphaned kid yanked abruptly from his home in the circus and then thrust unceremoniously into the Gotham elite, then continued through the time he graduated from Gotham University with highest honors. And then after, when he shrugged off the name of Robin and left Gotham behind, made himself a new home in Bludhaven, and took up the mantle of Nightwing, his family was always growing and expanding.

It started with the day he was in the police commissioner's office, huddled on the couch with the jacket given to him by the mean-looking-detective-that-smelled-like-donuts-but-was-really-nice wrapped around his tiny body. The tears wouldn't come, even though every breath was agony, and he'd sat there on the couch, holding a cup of hot chocolate that had long gone cold, thinking that he'd never find family ever again. But then the kind commissioner with the bouncy, redheaded daughter his age—he remembered her from the circus, where he'd snuck her a bag of blue cotton candy he'd taken from the cart—came in with the Man. The Man was tall, broad-shouldered, with striking blue eyes and black hair that was messy in a way that still looked neat. A kind-looking old man was right behind him—he looked like the kind of man who didn't know how to laugh.

**Alfred** was his **grandfather** and confidant, the person who picked him up when he fell and made the hurt go away. When Dick was a kid, shy, quiet, and new to Gotham, Alfred convinced him to give Bruce a chance. He drove him to and from school every day, and on Fridays or when he'd done particularly well on a test, Alfred would take him for ice cream and they'd talk. He was the person who'd let Dick into the Batcave in the first place, he made him his Robin costume, and he convinced Batman to make him a hero.

**Barbara** was his **sister**, friend, and partner-in-crime, the person he could always count on to come to his aid no matter what. Ever since that first time they'd met at Haley's Circus the day his parents died, they'd been almost inseparable. At school, she had been his ever-present bodyguard until the other kids stopped picking on him, and then she was his right-hand girl, never far away. It had helped that both were in the accelerated programs at school, set apart from their classmates by higher IQs and unmistakable talent. He attended all of her gymnastics competitions; she likewise went to all of his mathlete competitions. Bonny and Clyde, Bones and Booth, salt and pepper, green eggs and ham; they were two halves of a whole. When Barbara became Batgirl, it only served to strengthen the ties between them.

**Commissioner Gordon** was an **uncle** of sorts, acting as his guardian in extreme situations, the man whose idea it was for him to go to Bruce in the first place. Dick could always count on the commish to let him camp out in Barbara's room when he had to escape the tension on Wayne Manor. He took them to the amusement park and movies and the mall; he took them to the hospital when they broke their bone doing stupid stunts together.

**Selina** was his **aunt**, unwilling to really hurt him in a fight but still there to teach him the darker and more illegal side of crimefighting (also, her birthday presents _ROCK_!_)_. She was the totally irresponsible, flirty, fun aunt who asked Bruce if she could take him to a midnight premier with Barbara and Holly*, and then snuck him out of the Manor anyway when he'd said no. There was one birthday where she'd gotten him a water gun and taught him to aim low. Everyone walked around looking like they'd peed their pants for a week before Bruce wrestled it away from his little bird. After that, all gifts had to be vetted by the Big Bad Bat before going anywhere _near _Wayne Manor.

The **Justice League** were his **aunts** and **uncles**, all of whom had lived through the ups and downs of the little bird's childhood. Nightmares, birthdays, illnesses, hospital visits—the Justice League had been through them all. Oliver taught him how to ride a bike; King Orin took him to see a tropical reef on his birthday; Shayera gave him The Talk when everyone else made up a quick excuse and ran away; Barry made him milkshakes at two in the morning.

**Kaldur **and** Roy **were his **big brothers**, people he could count on to save his ass in a jam. When their mentors had introduced them, Kaldur had been an incredibly shy boy on the surface world for the first time, Robin had been a hyperactive boy unsure about how to act around other sidekicks, and Roy had been angry, self-obsessed, and sure that he was the best. As time passed, they grew more accustomed to each other, and they grew close. Kaldur respected that family and the acrobat's secret identity were off-limit topics with the others, and likewise, Robin never brought up the Atlantean's past nor Roy's rocky relationship with Ollie. In return, Roy took the others under his figurative wing and protected them, teaching them basic archery, helped Robin with homework, and acted as a confidant when Kaldur got his first crush. Kaldur and Roy acted as mentors to the youngest boy when it came to girls, combat, and life in general, and Robin was the person Kaldur went to when he had questions about the surface world and human interaction, and when Roy needed an excuse to get away from Ollie. They could depend on each other, in and out of battle. Later on, as they got older, Kaldur watched as Robin matured into the leader he was meant to be, and gladly stepped down as to let the bird take his rightful place.

**Wally **was his **brother**, crazy, wacky, and dependable. Like Barbara, they instantly clicked, and from then on, there was nothing that could stop them. Batman and Flash knew that they'd made either the wisest decision or the greatest mistake of their lives. Since their first meeting, they had been practically joined at the hip, spending nearly every free moment together. They went to the movies together and shared artificially buttered popcorn and half-melted candy; they went roller-blading at the rink in Central City and mugger-hunting in Gotham. They went to carnivals and amusement parks and blew up to two hundred buck each on games they almost always lost at and rides that made them scream louder than any psychopath. They camped out in front of Wayne Manor's 65" plasma screen TV with enough junk food to feed a third world country and a stack of movies as tall as Rob on the weekends. Whenever Wally stayed over late at Wayne Manor or Dick at the West household, they would crash out in their bedrooms and sleep in late; sometimes they'd bring out the sleeping bags, sometimes they just shared the bed. Even when there was nothing to do, the two young heroes would spend hours talking—debating random topics ranging from movies, to school, sports, science, other superheroes, to their own mentors. It came to the point where a single day apart felt weird to them. They could poke fun at and mock each other when one or the other failed at something, and they could trade jokes, insults, and good-natured ribbing on a regular basis, and to them, it was more than natural**  
><strong>

**Bruce** was his **father**, teacher, and guardian bat, the person who lifted him out of the Darkness and into the Light again, who gave him wings to fly. There is neither enough time in the world nor enough words in the English language to list all the ways Bruce was important to him. He took him in when the boy had no one else, with no intention of keeping him, but somehow they bonded, and Bruce raised him as his own son. He taught him the ways of the world, good and bad alike. He pushed him when Dick was sure he could go no further, and he never let Dick get away with anything. He hadn't known how to be a parent, and he never tried to replace the ones Dick had lost. Yet, slowly but surely, Bruce came to think of Dick as his own son, and Dick grew to see Bruce as a new father. Even after Dick had left the nest and set out on his own, Bruce supported him, in and out of mask.

Family didn't have to make sense—more often than not, it didn't. Sometimes, in the Lottery of Life, you got stuck with a relative that made you want to choke them to death. Sometimes, you get more than one.

But sometimes—_sometimes_—you get lucky.


	77. Homicidal

**_~YJ~_**

**077. Homicidal**

**Rating: T**

**_~YJ~_**

Artemis was going to kill someone. She didn't know whom and she didn't know how, but she swore to insert-deity-of-your-choice-here that before the night was over, someone was going to die. She could feel it, the urge to kill, creeping through her body like a plague. She didn't like it, but she couldn't deny that she felt the urge. It prickled her skin, the hairs on her arms rising, and her fingers flexed in her lap; she was just itching to wrap them around a knife. A nice, sharp, serrated knife. Tipped with poison...that has no known cure... She knew that anytime now, her eye would start twitching, and after that, she didn't know how long she could restrain herself from doing something she would regret.

_"__You should know that this is the strangest thing I've ever done!" shouted Flynn to Rapunzel, fending off a horse's sword with a frying pan  
>There was a clang as Max flicked the frying npan from Flynn's hands. The thief laughed nervously, suddenly not liking the odds.<br>"...How 'bout best two out of three?"_


	78. The New Kids

**_~YJ~_**

**078. The New Kids**

**Rating: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

All was quiet in Mt Justice, the lights turned off and the air thick and muggy from the nearby ocean. A layer of dust blanketed the old base, telling of disuse and neglect. It was obvious to anyone who looked that this place hadn't been in use for some time; sheets covered the furniture, the appliances had been unplugged, and it was clear that it hadn't been disturbed for years. When the old Young Justice team left and became the Titans years ago, they abandoned the mountain cave, and it had been used only for storage ever since.

The silence was shattered as the Cave burst to life, suddenly filled with activity. Blurs of color streaked through the rooms as various speedsters zoomed around, kicking up clouds of dust in their wake. Static, Argent, Wildebeest, Pantha, Starfire, and Gnarrk were working on repairing the Cave's deteriorating structure. Gear and Cyborg were programming the mainframe computer and setting up security. Red Star was charging up the Cave's power source, Bumblebee was keeping an eye on things from above.

Among all the chaos, in the main room, stood a group of heroes—Tempest Miss Martian, Green Arrow, Arsenal, Flash, Nightwing, and Raven. Before them stood the future, the next generation of heroes.

The first was a well-endowed Caucasian girl with her long black hair hanging down to her butt and stunning verdant eyes—both her irises and the whites were green. She looked uncomfortable and out of her element, looking around as if she was unsure of what to do or why she was there. (Honestly, her father wasn't either.) Her midriff-baring top and mini-skirt were mauve, as were her thigh-high boots; she wore metallic full-body armor beneath her clothes. Her gloves, belt, and collar were the same silver as her armor; there were rounded emeralds set into each, glittering in the restored light.

The second and third—fifteen-year-old twins, a boy and girl—were both redheads with blue-grey eyes and freckles. The girl's messy hair was shoulder-length and layered, and looked like she cut it herself with dull scissors; her eyes were outlined with smoky black mascara and glittery eye shadow. Under her vintage leather jacket, her sparkly red camisole hugged her lean torso and showed off enough cleavage to raise her dad's blood pressure to dangerous levels—same with her black butt-hugging jeans. Her battered leather combat boots were done up with red laces, matching her shirt. She had aviator goggles hanging around her neck by their strap, ready to pull up over her eyes at a moment's notice.

The boy's hair was spiky and windblown, and with the exception of his mother's eyes, he looked just like his father had at his age. He wore a Green Day shirt that had once been his dad's, worn jeans, and sneakers; he was modest where his sister was not. A quiver full of arrows was strapped across his back, and a box was slung over his shoulder; as his mother had once said, if he couldn't run like his sister, he could shoot like his mother.

The fourth was the oldest of the group—a pale-skinned young woman with inky black hair falling over her face like a curtain and dark eyes. Her clothes were black on black—cargo pants, T-shirt, jacket, gloves, and sneakers; the only skin showing was her solemn face. A bat-shaped metal pendant hung around her neck from a black lace choker. She stood a noticeable distance from the others, her posture inverted and hunched.

The fifth member of their group, and the second of three males, was a slender, gangly brunet with tousled hair and sapphire eyes. Like the redheaded girl, he had goggles around his neck; his lanky frame was made even skinnier by the baggy jeans and loose shirt he wore, and he wore sneakers that looked like they had been to hell and back, mud-splattered and faded. He resembled the twins enough that they weren't siblings, but definitely and clearly related by blood.

A blonde girl with Slavic cheekbones and glittering blue eyes—the standard tall blonde hottie—in a red and white mini-dress and high-heeled boots, and a short, slender dark-haired boy with blue eyes and a mischievous smirk that would immediately label him a troublemaker made up the rest of the gang. A golden lasso was wrapped around the girl's hourglass waist like a belt; speaking of belts, the boy was wearing a standard Bat!Family-issue utility belt.

Nightwing stood before them, unsure whether he was ready to let his siblings and daughter past the stage of sidekick, but knowing that there was no backing out now. He named each of them as his eyes drifted over them.

"Nightstar—" His daughter whom, until very recently (read: a few days ago) he hadn't known existed. Her mother—Starfire—had been surprisingly positive towards the idea when he'd called her, especially since Mar'i had run away without telling her to find a father she'd never met. He wasn't sure what to think of his half-alien daughter now that he was responsible for her, but he suspected that this team and being around kids her own age would do wonders for her.

"Kid Flash—" One of Wally and Artemis's teenaged twins. Iris was a natural-born speedster, even faster than her father had been at her age.

"Speedy—" Unlike his sister, Jai had been born with no metahuman abilities other than a quick wit and a high IQ. Instead of risking the same things Wally had risked when he had replicated Uncle Barry's experiment, Artemis taught Jai archery, giving him a special skill that would allow him to fight crime like his parents before him with his sister by his side.

"Batgirl—" The third Batgirl, having taken up the cowl after Spoiler and Barbara, Cassandra "Cass" Cain was a quiet and withdrawn girl, still painfully shy and avoidant of people outside of the Bat Family. Nightwing hoped that being a part of this team just as he had would draw her out of her shell. If they were lucky, maybe the others could even convince her to start speaking again.

"Impulse—" Bartholomew "Bart" Allen was a speedster just like his cousins Wally and Iris, and like his father Barry before him. He'd taken the name Impulse after Iris had chosen Kid Flash, and had moved in with the West family after the death of his father only months after his mother had passed away. He now patrolled the streets of Central City alongside Flash and Kid Flash while Green Arrow and Speedy guarded over Star City.

"Wonder Girl—" Nightwing really prayed that Diana was right when she said the Cassie Sandsmark was ready to be around people. If Cassie didn't have sufficient control of her Amazonian powers, the damage could be worse than when Superboy had lived in the Cave. He was also suddenly glad that he was enforcing Batman's no-names rule, because keeping Cassie and Cass straight would drive him bonkers.

"Robin—" Damian was who he was _really _worried about. Now, not to be mistaken, he loved his brother, but he had no illusions to the youngest of the Bat-Clan's state of mental health. If forming this team managed to turn him into a first-class citizen, then Nightwing would throw them all a party. Maybe being around Cass and Mar'i would be good for him…at the very least, it would let him spend time with his sister and—*swallow*—niece.

"Welcome to Mount Justice."


	79. Peeking

**_~YJ~_**

**079. Peeking**

**Rating: T**

**_~YJ~_**

"No _peeking," _Wally said, pointing at his kids. They were both fifteen, with their dad's red hair and their mom's grey eyes, and they were both little _shits. _

Iris pushed her short, layered hair behind a pierced ear, hands on her hips. "Daddy, I would _never_ look for Christmas presents. Ever." She even managed to sound sincere, as if she was seriously offended that he would even _mention _that.

Jai, on the other hand, shrugged, hands going into his pockets; he wasn't even going to pretend to be offended, unlike his sister. "Besides, we already searched the house and the garage, so obviously you've hidden them at Watchtower."

Wally grinned, leaning down to ruffle their hair, and said happily, "I sure did, you brats."


	80. Snow

**_~YJ~_**

**080. Snow**

**Rating: K**

**_~YJ~_**

"You've never seen snow?" Wally asked incredulously, zipping back toward Conner. The clone stood at the mouth of the cave, frowning at the fluffy white stuff before him. Connor shook his head, eyes never leaving the snow.

"I've seen…_images_ but nothing like this." Conner rubbed his neck and looked at Wally. "What does it do?"

A grin lit up Wally's face like it was Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and his birthday all at once. Before Conner had a chance to realize what was going to happen, snow was flying sixty miles per hour toward his face, hitting his jaw and exploding all over his face. When the small flurry dissipated, it revealed snow standing out against dark hair and soaking the front of his shirt.

"Snow ball fight!" Wally yelled out joyously, fort already built while the others started to do the same.


	81. Temper

**_~YJ~_**

**081. Temper**

**Rating: T**

**_~YJ~_**

When Wally showed up at his apartment, right eye blackened and a bruise spread over his cheekbone, lingering in the hallway looking for all the world like a kicked puppy, Roy knew that his once-in-a-great-while good day was about to take a serious nosedive. He pulled him inside, sat the younger down in the big, comfy club chair he loved, and made him a cup of hot chocolate. Then, after he'd made the drink, he sat down next to Wally, hauled the speedster into his lap, and made Wally tell him what happened.

"It doesn't happen often," Wally told Roy, curling into the warm embrace and taking a sip of the warm, sweet drink. He noticed absently that Roy had used Wally's favorite mug—it was blue and red with a green dot on the handle for your thumb, and even though he'd never said it, Roy knew it was his favorite.

Roy stared at him, and Wally continued, not realizing the effect his words had on the elder redhead. "I mean, he doesn't mean it. I just show off or…or am a smartass, and he doesn't like that."

"So he hits you," Roy muttered darkly, and Wally wished with his entire _being_ that he could believe the things he was telling Roy.

He wished Roy would believe him, too. He wished so badly that his throat didn't work properly, his chest hurt even more, and his eyes watered. To his eternal embarrassment even though Roy doesn't hold it against him, he started _crying_ into Roy's strong, warm, familiar, _comforting_ chest, and wished that his dad could love him as much as a dad is supposed to. Even though his accelerated metabolism is swiftly taking care of his bruises and cuts and broken ribs, he still hurts with a deep, throbbing _ache _that no amount of hot chocolate could cure.

"Well, you've got me," the archer said into soft red hair, holding his friend securely in his lap. Roy's rough voice was soothing in his ears, and Wally held on as tightly as he could, and wished that things could be different.


	82. Cruise

**_~YJ~_**

**082. Cruise**

**Rating: K**

**_~YJ~_**

The two teens stood out on the desk, watching the ocean together and talking. She was in a black and purple once-piece swimsuit under khaki Bermuda shorts, her long red hair anchored back in a ponytail, and she wore sandals she'd bought at the ship gift store; her toenails were painted in the colors of the rainbow. Her eyes, blue as the sky, were hidden behind tinted sunglasses. He wore nothing more than trunks, though he wished he could be in the ocean surrounding them instead of on the cruise ship, and he had to keep up appearances.

Brilliant turquoise waves lapped at the ship, and Kaldur knew that schools of brightly colored tropical fish were swimming about below the glittering surface. The hot sun high above made the Caribbean water glitter like millions of sparkling gems. A cool ocean breeze danced across their skin, tugging at her hair and raising the hairs on his arms, and the air was heavy with the smell of salt water.

Batgirl looked out at the ocean, leaning on the railing. She had never felt this way, with the sun warming her Gotham-pale skin and the wind a gentle breeze. It was just magnificent.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, awestruck. She had never been out at sea; the closest was when she visited the beach with her dad. But this—this was something entirely different. She made a mental note to thank Bruce when they got back.

Kaldur nodded. "It is indeed," he agreed.

He wasn't looking at the ocean.

**_~YJ~_**

**Been a while since I've written this pairing, huh? Which do you like better: Kaldur/Raven, or Kaldur/Batgirl? I can't decide which I prefer… :(**

**As always, review, review, review! Let me know what you think, and if you have any suggestions for future fics, tell me. I'm reaching the end of my 100 themes list, and I can't remember the ideas I had back when I started!**

**~Nagi**


	83. Contrast

**_~YJ~_**

**083. Contrast**

**Rating: K**

**_~YJ~_**

He stared at her, and she stared back. Blue bore into blue, and even though he had to look down at her, he somehow got the feeling that she towered over him somehow. He studied her just as she studied him.

Was he really related to her? Correction: was _Superman _really related to her? They looked nothing alike. Raven-black hair to shiny blonde; pale to tanned; tall to short; broad-shoulder and muscled to petite and slender. The only correlation between them were their eyes, a shade of crystalline blue not found anywhere else on Earth. That was what connected them, the only similarity between them.

She wore a tight white shirt that showed off her midriff and had the S-Shield on her chest, a short blue skirt, and red boots. A short red cape and black headband completed the "teenaged superheroine" look she had going. With the contrast in outfits, it was even harder to see any resemblance.

"You know, if I were you, I'd be almost _glad _that he was ignoring me." Her high, melodic voice broke through his thoughts.

"What?" he asked, puzzled and not sure that he heard her right. She couldn't have said what he thought she said, could she?

She stared up at him and shrugged. "I'm just saying, you shouldn't take it so hard. He's a good guy, but _such _a hard ass." She looked so serious that Connor couldn't help but chuckle. She smirked. "Seriously. I mean, he made me spend three years. On a farm. In _Kansas._"

She waved her hand at the Cave surrounding them. "From what I can see, you've got it pretty good. No hard farm work, no getting up before the sun, no stinky farm animals. You get to live with your friends, relax after school. _Go on missions_. Any time you want to switch places, just let me know." She smiled, holding out her hand.

"By the way, my name is Kara Zor-El, but here on Earth, I'm known as Kara Kent. You are…?"

_Kent? _He was starting to suspect that Martian Manhunter's suggestion for his last name _wasn't _just a coincidence.

"Uh…Connor…Connor Kent," he said finally.

Her baby-blue eyes lit up and her smile widened. She looped her arm through his and started tugging him towards the exit.

"Well, then, Connor Kent—you're taking me shopping!"

He didn't put up much of a resistance as she pulled him, but he couldn't help but ask, "Why am I going?"

Kara looked at him like he was an idiot, though the expression cleared quickly.

"Because _I'm _not going to carry all the bags by myself, and I need someone to tell me how cute I look. _Duh!"_


	84. Friends

**_~YJ~_**

**084. Friends**

**Rating: T**

**_~YJ~_**

"We're your _friends!"_ Wally and Artemis shrieked, but nobody teased them. They were all too busy glaring at Robin, making him feel even worse than he already did. The heat of their angry stares burned into his bowed head; he didn't dare look them in the eyes.

The Boy Wonder groaned softly, deciding that putting weight on his hurt leg was a bad idea. To be honest, he was only half-listening to his teammates; he was busy doing a mental diagnostic on his injuries. _Ribs are definitely broken, probably three or four. I might have torn something in my leg, can't put weight on it and I doubt it will support me. I _know _I have a concussion, and I should have Batman take a look at my shoulder. I popped it back into place earlier, but just in case… _He realized that Artemis was still talking.

"—and you just went off on _your own _against_ the Joker. _You nearly_ died!"_

M'gann steps forward, hand rising to clench his arm. He winced. _Oh yeah, that's going to hurt for a while._ "Robin, we would have been there. We would have helped you. So why didn't you ask us?"

"It's not that easy," he told her solemnly, and it wasn't. With the Joker, it never was. His friends would never understand. They just couldn't comprehend the damage that madman could do; they'd never experienced it. But he had, and he knew that leading them into a fight against him would be akin to leading them to their graves.

"We are your _friends, _Robin,_"_ Kaldur said calmly, even though Robin could see the anger and hurt in his eyes, and Robin thought that yeah, maybe they were his friends. And if they hadn't been there, he would have certainly died at the hands of the Clown Prince of Crime.

"Yeah," he whispered, reaching out to grab Kaldur's forearm, silently letting the Atlantean know that he understood. "Yeah, you are. I'm sorry."


	85. Numb

**_~YJ~_**

**085. Numb**

**Rating: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

He was so cold, so very, very cold, despite the burning debris around him. Icy rain hits his battered body like a thousand and one tiny needles, but it does nothing to quench the fire. His face hurt from lying against the gravel and his legs—he couldn't even _feel_ his legs anymore. They were pinned under a collapsed support beam, and whenever he tried to move, waves of red-hot agony ripped through him.

Rain pattered against his face, stinging the bruised and bloodied cheek, and Wally whimpered. His heart was pounding in his chest, beating against a bruised ribcage, and every breath hurt like hell. His red hair was matted with congealing blood coming from the gashes and lacerations caused by the explosion and the collapsing building, steadily pouring his lifeblood onto the gravel, staining the rocks crimson.

His breaths was coming in short gasps now, every inhale and exhale agony. His vision was ebbing away, going black around the edges like an old film reel burning up. Dimly, he could hear people calling. Their voices sounded familiar, but he couldn't place where he'd heard them before. He wasn't even sure what they were saying. It sounded familiar—something he'd heard thousands of times before—but he just couldn't distinguish the words.

Were they calling him? He tried to answer, to call out, to make any sound whatsoever, but his lips wouldn't move and his vocal chords refused to make any sound. He could feel himself fading…fading…fading fast, and he desperately hung onto one thought, one last identifying thought, as his body went numb.

_I am Wally West._

_I am Wally…_

_I am…_

His world went black, and just as the Justice League reached him, Wally "Kid Flash" West breathed his last.


	86. Coffee

**_~YJ~_**

**086. Coffee**

**Rating: K**

**_~YJ~_**

Nightwing flipped through a file, not reading a word. He sighed and tossed it on the consol, feeling a migraine coming on. It was late, it had been a busy day in Bludhaven, and now he was on monitor duty on the Watchtower with nothing to occupy him except reports. He was so incredibly bored, he would have thanked the Joker for breaking out of Arkham.

He turned around at a sound and found Zatanna standing in the doorway, returned from an assignment in Egypt and holding a mug with a Batman decal.

"…Is that coffee?"

"Two creams, three sugars, just how you like it," she said, setting in down in front of him and looking at him expectantly.

He shook his head, black strands hanging in front of his face. "No, that's how _you_ like it," he informed her drily.

"I guess I've never really asked," she said, rocking back on her heels. The years had been good to her; if she'd been pretty when they first met, she was a total knock-out now.

"It's all right." He reached for it and took a sip, trying not to grimace at the overly sweet taste.

"Tell me so I can get it right next time." Zatanna stared at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"Z'anna, don't..."

"..."

He sighed, knowing better than to engage in a war of wills with the magician.

"Fine, black, two sugars."

**_~YJ~_**

**I'm so sorry! *ducks to avoid flying objects* Please don't be angry with me for taking so long! Sorry I'm so late! I was just…not feeling like writing, honestly. I've been having some family issues (parents divorcing, sister being a bitch, etc.), and I just wasn't in the mood for writing. Then I had finals and…well, you know how it goes. Obviously, there isn't going to be a Halloween drabble…or a Thanksgiving drabble… Here's hoping I get to a Christmas one!**

**As always, review, please!**

**And forgive me for writing Zatanna! It's not that I like her, I just don't _hate_ her, but I promise I'll do a Dick/Babs fic soon…hopefully…**

**-Nagi**


	87. Favor

**_~YJ~_**

**087. Favor**

**Rating: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

Wally's heartbeat pulsed in his ears as he reached the manor. He rang the bell, tapping his foot impatiently and vibrating gently, his body blurry to any onlooker. The moment Alfred opened the door, he shot forward like a bullet out of a gun, leaving a, "Hey Al!" hanging in the air. The old man shook his head, smiled, and said to empty space, "Good day, Master Wallace."

"Please be home, Robs," Wally pleaded softly as he pounded on the bird's bedroom door, hoping the banging would convey the urgency.

Relief flooded him when he heard the sound of footfalls near the door. Wally grinned as the door opened.

"Hey Dickie!" He warmly greeted, rushing past the acrobat and into his room.

Wally slammed the door and locked it. "We're friends, right?" he asked quickly.

"Yeah…," Dick said hesitantly.

"You'd do anything to help me?" Wally was literally shaking in his sneakers.

"Just about," Dick carefully answered, confused by the speedster's behavior.

"I want you to go out with me."

**_~YJ~_**

"You're kidding?"

Wally shook his head.

"You're serious?"

"Deadly," Wally said, nodding.

They were sitting in the living room, drinking sodas and snacking on cookies that Alfred had made. "Christina Alexandrova has decided she wants me as her new boytoy, and the only way I can convince her she's wasting her time is showing her that she's barking up the wrong tree."

"Hang on, since when have you not liked a girl's attention?" Dick asked, finding it hard to pity the redhead.

Wally jumped to his feet, shaking his head. "No, no, you don't understand. This chick is totally nuts. Last time I was captured by the Blue Trinity, she tried to drug and then molest me. I don't want _any _kind of attention from her."

Dick snickered at the thought. "I don't blame you, dude. It sounds awful."

"So, you'll do it?" Wally looked so much like a puppy that Dick just couldn't refuse.

Dick sighed. "…Yeah…"

**_~YJ~_**

"_Wally_, people are staring!" The acrobat squirmed, trying not to flinch away from his "boyfriend."

"Good, that means it's working. Whatever you do, Robbie, don't let go of me."

"How long do we have to do this?"

"Until I know she's seen us."

"How will you know that?"

"I have my ways." Wally gestured with a free hand, the one not intertwined with the little bird's. Dick followed his "boyfriend's" hand and paled.

"Is…is that a news van?"

"Great idea, right?" Wally asked, looking pleased with himself.

"Dude, are you crazy? People I know are going see this." Dick wiggled out of Rex's arms. If Bruce saw this—_when _Bruce saw this—he was going to have a coronary. How bad would it look if a billionaire's _thirteen-year-old _son was seen nationwide getting romantic with a _guy _in Central City?

"Aw, you're not ashamed of our love are you?"

"We're not _in_ love!" Dick shouted.

"Oh, really?" Robin jumped at the voice behind him. "Trouble in Paradise?"

"What do you want, Christina?" Wally demanded, pulling his raven-haired friend close—almost protectively.

"As if you have to ask. You, of course. You've gone to such drastic lengths to get my attention. Now you have it." Christina was suddenly right in front of him, her nose brushing against his.

"Don't even think about touching him," Dick warned, placing himself between the female speedster and Wally.

"Oh, and how do you plan on stopping me?" She grabbed Dick's throat with both hands and squeezed. It must have seemed hilarious to her, a skinny, pale kid barely into his teen years, standing up to a metahuman like her.

Despite the pain, Dick smiled.

"By distracting you so I could put this collar on you," Kid Flash declared, coming up behind Christina and locking the inhibitor collar around her neck.

**_~YJ~_**

"Thanks for your help, Dick," Kid Flash said, watching a debilitated Christina being loaded into an armored truck, ready to take her to Belle Reve.

"Yeah, well, it's all in the name of friendship," Dick said, shrugging as he turned to start walking away. The superhero disappeared in a blur, and Wally came trotting out of a nearby alley. He hurried to catch up with his friend.

"No, seriously, thank you. I really needed you and I know not just anybody would place themselves in danger." He paused, and then continued, "Or pretend to be my boyfriend, for that matter."

Dick laughed. "Luckily for you, I'm not just anyone." Dick noticed Wally blush. "You know you've dumped, right? Worst. Date. Ever!"

"Oh, come on, that was work. You should see me when I really try." Wally grabbed the smaller teen and picked him up bridal style.

It was Dick's turn to blush, then he smiled and looped his arms around his friend's neck.

**_~YJ~_**

**Why is it that whenever I pledge to write Dick/Babs, I end up writing Dick/Wally? I mean, I like slash—I _really _like slash—but I _really _want to write our favorite little bird and bat getting cozy. What is _wrong _with me?**


	88. First

**_~YJ~_**

**088. First**

**Rating: K**

**_~YJ~_**

Robin fiddled with the tie, grimacing. "Who's bright idea was it to wear nooses around our necks and call it formal wear?" he mused aloud.

He was standing in the Cave's kitchen in a perfectly tailored suit, looking like he'd rather be wearing anything else, and his usually perfectly-messy hair was gelled slickly. M'gann giggled and came over to help him. "I think you look very handsome," she promised, straightening the piece of red cloth. He grinned, ignoring Connor's sharp-as-steel glare, and said, "Thanks, Miss M. That doesn't mean I have to like it, though."

"If you dislike it so much, why are you wearing it?" Kaldur inquired. Sometimes, surface dwellers seemed very strange.

Robin sighed. "Believe me, if I could, I would just wait out the storm here. But alas, Batman will _kill me _if I don't show up and play nice with Gotham's royal court."

Wally laughed at his friend, falling somewhere between sympathy and amusement for his friend's distress. "Sucks to be you, dude," he laughed.

_SMACK!_

_"OW!"_

Artemis whacked her boyfriend upside his head, rolling her eyes at his immaturity. "Be nice! So, you're going to the Founder's Day gala tonight?"

Robin nodded. "Yep, unfortunately."

A new voice joined the conversation. "Thankfully, it's a burden he won't have to carry alone."

All eyes swiveled to the new girl standing in the doorway. Her black headband did absolutely nothing to hold back the wavy, bright red hair that fell around her shoulders, and she wore an elegant diamond necklace with matching dangling earrings. She wore a midnight black dress that flattered her athletic body and laced up the back, and held a small matching clutch in perfectly manicured hands. Her eyes were hidden by designer sunglasses, but still, she looked faintly familiar to Artemis.

She smiled, showing off pearly white teeth, and walked over, her flats tapping softly on the floor. "Well, don't you look handsome?" she said, poking Robin in the shoulder. He laughed. "Thanks, and you look beautiful." His expression sobered up. "Why are you here? I thought we were going to meet at the gala."

She shrugged. "I thought I'd come see what all the fuss was about. Personally, I like the Bat Cave more, but that's just me." She turned and smiled at the other heroes. "I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Batgirl, Robin's _partner." _She stressed the word 'partner,' letting them know in one word that he might be a part of _their _team, but he would always be _hers _first.

Robin started pushing her towards the Zeta Beam, hoping to avert the oncoming disaster.

"Right, right," he said hurriedly, "well, we'd better be going. See you guys tomorrow."

And then they were standing in the Gordon apartment back in Gotham. Dick slipped off his sunglasses and gave Barbara a withering look. "Why try and start a fight with them? They're my friends too, Babs."

She frowned and bowed her head, not meeting his eyes. "I know, Dick, but you're spending more time with them lately; I get lonely. I just had to let them know that you were _my _partner before you were _their _teammate."

He sighed. "Why do you have a problem with them? It's not like I'm going to stop going on patrol with you because of them. Hey." He hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her head to look her in the eyes.

"_You're _my best friend, Babs," he said earnestly, "that'll never change. But _they're _my friends, too, and you turned down the chance to join the team, remember?"

She pulled away. "Okay, okay, I get it. Let's get going, huh? Bruce will stick you on monitor if you're late, and my dad will ground me for weeks if _I'm _late."

Dick smiled, though he knew the conversation wasn't over, and bowed. "Allow me to escort you, Miss Gordon," he said gallantly, grinning like a fool and offering her his arm.

She giggled and linked her arm with his. "Why, thank you, Mr. Grayson. I'd like that very much."

Laughing, they left to go meet Alfred, the tension evaporating.


	89. Burger

**_~YJ~_**

**089. Burger**

**Rating: K**

**_~YJ~_**

"This can't be good for you," M'gann stated, eyeing the red plastic basket of freshly fried food.

"That depends on your definition of good. If you mean 'healthy', then no. But if you mean delicious, than there are few things in life that are this good," Artemis explained, taking a big bite out of the double cheeseburger.

M'gann watched, slightly disturbed at the cheer Artemis took in the consumption of unidentifiable meat, processed cheese, and tomato by-product, before looking down at the identical plastic basket with her own burger.

"You gonna start eating?"

"I've lost my appetite," M'gann replied, pushing the basket away. Some Earth traditions she could live without


	90. What's In A Name

**_~YJ~_**

**090. What's In A Name**

**Rating: K+**

**_~YJ~_**

With bated breath, they all watched expectantly as the completion bar ran to a hundred percent. Soon enough, they would know the truth. They would know who the mysterious boy was behind the cape and the domino mask.

Since Wally had gotten the idea, five of the members of Young Justice had been working dedicatedly on the identity of their sixth member. Kaldur had taken some persuading, but eventually, he came around.

They had all listened intently to his works and watched his actions closely over the past several weeks. They had caught a lucky break when he had mentioned his school to Kid Flash, and with bits and pieces they had picked up and inferred, they were always getting close.

He was highly intelligent, he was a gifted athlete and acrobat, his being able to afford genuine designer sunglasses; his fixation with prefixes and words was another clue as far as they were concerned. Every word he spoke and every move he made were hints to their youngest member's identity.

With Robin on Dynamic Duo duty this week, it seemed like the perfect time to move to the next level. They had compiled everything into the Mount Justice computer and were running a program to find out the true identity of the Boy Wonder.

_50%...65%...78%...80%...90%...95%_

_100% Program Complete_

And now their answer was here.

**_Name:_**_ Bruce Alfred Smith_

**_Age:_**_ 13_

**_Place of Birth:_**_ Thomas Wayne Memorial Hospital, Gotham City, New Jersey_

**_Father:_**_ Richard Smith (deceased)_

**_Mother:_**_ Mary Smith (deceased)_

**_Other Information:_**_  
>-Orphaned at aged 8, parents killed in car crash caused by drunk driver<br>-Currently lives with uncle James Gordon Wayne, a Gotham City martial arts instructor_

The team scrolled through the other information, their high hopes dropping with each new piece of info_. _Bruce Smith was on a scholarship at Gotham Academy, and he made average grades in most things, excelling only in English ("I knew the whelmed thing was important" Wally called out triumphantly). He took martial arts from his uncle and was on the academy's cross-country team and academic decathlon team. His favorite color was blue; he liked reading. As they read more and more, they all came to the same conclusion: Bruce Smith was probably the most uninteresting, normal person on the entire planet.

Even the sample of his writing that was included was boring; it was technically perfect, of course, but none of them had known that a comparison of different types of robins (the birds only, not even a passing mention of the Boy Wonder himself) could be so incredibly _boring._

He had never been in trouble at school, but he never seemed to have done anything worth mentioning, either. He had never won a race on the cross-country team or at the AcDec competitions, or even competed in a karate tournament. There was absolutely nothing interesting about him; he was quite possibly the single most average kid in the world.

…

…

…

…

…

_"_That was very anti-climactic," Kaldur said finally with a sigh as he erased their history from the computer. If the subject of their research found out about it, they would be eating batarangs for weeks.

"Very," Artemis agreed. "I always figured the kid would have knock out grades and be the star athlete, or _something_. How can a superhero be so incredibly boring, even in real life?"

"Yeah," muttered Wally, "I always figured he had a cool backstory, like he ran away from the circus or was a billionaire, or something like that. But this…this is just so...so _normal._"

"I had always suspected so sort of tragedy," Kaldur said. "I suppose orphaned by a car crash counts." He didn't sound convincing, even to himself.

"That was really boring." Superboy sighed and went to return to his spot on the couch in front of a black TV.

"All in favor of pretending we didn't find this and that Robin is some cool mysteries kid from Gotham that we don't know anything about, say 'aye,'" called Wally.

"Aye," chorused the others.

**Meanwhile...**

Dick Graysonsat in his room at Wayne Manor, watching the security feeds of Mount Justice on his laptop and laughing hysterically at his friends' reaction to his little creation.

It wasn't a very good creation either—the information he'd compiled would have been a dead giveaway to Bruce, Barbara, Alfred, or even himself. But his friends weren't paranoid, trained-by-the-Bat detectives. They weren't even good at _Clue._

That was why it had been pretty obvious what they were doing from the start; they were just painfully _obvious._ Robin had been happy to help them along, and point them always further in the wrong direction.

"Master Richard," Alfred called from downstairs, "Dinner is ready."

Dick closed his laptop with a final chuckle at his friends' complete inability to be subtle, and padded down the stairs to join Bruce and Alfred.

Young Justice really should've known better than to try and out-detective one of the World's Greatest Detectives™.

Or, at least not to compile the information on a main hard drive he was connected to 24/7.

**_~YJ~_**

**10 more to go! YAAAAAAAY! I'm almost there! Thank you to everyone who's stuck with me this far! It means a lot to me, especially because I know I'm not exactly a fast updater. I kinda update in bulk and then disappear for a while, I know, I know! I'm sorry! But we're almost it the end, so—again—YAY!**

**-Nagi**


	91. Help

**_~YJ~_**

**091. Help**

**Rating: K**

**_~YJ~_**

"You know, if you need help or if you need me to translate, just call," said Nightwing.

Artemis nodded, hauling her backpack over her shoulder. She knew she could always ask Dick to translate for her; or she could ask him, Kaldur, or Wally to pick her up personally in the middle of Italy, even though the latter two barely knew the country and fumbled with the language, and they would give the phone weird looks and say 'what the hell', and then show up to get her anyway.

They didn't need her, of course. They'd do as well as ever without her and would hardly notice she was gone—one less person in the crowd to make contingency plans for, to clap on the back and cheer with after a victory, to fight with over the last slice of pizza, and to dance really badly with at the big get-togethers.


	92. Rain

**_~YJ~_**

**092. Rain**

**Rating: K**

**_~YJ~_**

Dick and Wally sighed and leaned back on the hood of the rusty, crappy sedan they'd bought off a guy three rest stops ago, staring at the horizon in hopes that Barbara's van would magically appear. It didn't.

Wally glanced at his friend and asked, "You _did _call her, right?" Dick glared at him. "_Yes, _I called her! She said she'd be here soon."

Wally asked how soon was "soon"; Dick didn't answer the question. Thirty minutes later, it started pouring. Both scrambled into the car, but by the time they got off the hood, Dick found the keys, and they jumped inside, they were both soaked. Shivering, cold, and miserable, both teens watched the horizon for another thirty minutes...then another...

Finally, Barbara's battered red van bumped over the deserted road and pulled up alongside the boys' junk heap. They scrambled out and rushed to the car, struggling to get into the backseat and warmth. Barbara turned around to look at them with an utterly smug smirk on her face, her eyes glittering with satisfaction. "I told you that crappy truck wouldn't make it," she sang.

Dick glared at her. "Shut up and dri-you stopped and got _Starbucks!_ Really? _So_ wrong!"


	93. Yes

**_~YJ~_**

**093. Yes**

**Rating: K**

**_~YJ~_**

"Hey, Robs?"

"Yes?"

"I'm bored. Wanna do something?"

"Yes."

"Any suggestions?"

"Yes."

"Like what?

"Yes."

"Robin? Whaddya want to do?"

"Yes."

"Is that all you're going to say?"

"Yes."

"ARGH!"

…

…

…

Kaldur blinked at the scene before him, not sure what to think.

"…Wally, why are you trying to strangle Robin?"


	94. Trapped

**_~YJ~_**

**094. Trapped**

**Rating: K**

**_~YJ~_**

It was dark, Robin wouldn't stop wiggling, and the ropes chafed. Batgirl wanted to tell him to stop, but the gag put a damper that plan. So she went for something more direct.

"Opphh!" Robin squeaked at the elbow in his rib. Batgirl couldn't make out the rest of the muffled grumbles, which was probably a good thing.

But it didn't stop the wiggling. They were back to back, ankles bound, wrists tied to each other's, and then wrapped in rope around their torsos. Oh, gagged and blindfolded, too. So even if their communicators had reception in the underground mine shaft, it wouldn't matter because neither of them could reach the receivers, or speak, for that matter.

Or see.

Or move.


	95. Towel

**_~YJ~_**

**095. Towel**

**Rating: K**

**_~YJ~_**

"Uhhh…"

"What?" Wally demanded, raising an eyebrow at the baffled stare his girlfriend was giving him.

"What's with the towel, Baywatch?" Artemis came right out and asked. She was surprised when the speedster scowled, looking immensely offended.

"Any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with," the redheaded teen informed. "Now, come along, strag, I've a Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal to outwit with my towel."

Artemis only groaned and trudged after her boyfriend grudgingly, knowing well enough that this was just one of those things she _really_ shouldn't ask about. She did know, however, that because he called her a 'strag' (whatever the hell that was), he wasn't getting any _anytime soon._


	96. Doomed

**_~YJ~_**

**096. Doomed**

**Rating: K**

**_~YJ~_**

Wally was inspecting a pink line from Lian's marker on his shirt when he entered their apartment. The bathroom door was open and the water was being turned off and on.

"How did it go?" Artemis asked when he appeared in the doorway, crossing his arms. The blonde ran her hands through her hair, her foot twisting the tap on and off. She looked up at him expectantly, an eyebrow raised. "Well?"

Shrugging, Wally walked into the room, shrugging off his ruined T-shirt and sitting down on the toilet seat next to the tub. "No problem. It was fun; Lian did my make-up and we had pretend-tea and I took her to the park, and then Roy tried to kill me because I gave her an ice cream sandwich ten minutes before bed and she was bouncing off the walls."

Artemis laughed, images of her brother/cousin/rival threatening her fiancé running through her head. He stroked her cheek, and asked, "Why're you up so late anyway?"

"Late?" Artemis scowled. "Look, _just_ because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I have to go to bed at _nine,_ Wally."

"I know," he said, hand dipping into the water and tracing a path up her shin. "But it's nearly eleven, Arty."

It was her turn to shrug as she slid deeper into the water. "Oh well. I don't have to work in the morning, so ha!" Her tongue poked out of her mouth, and he flicked it, earning himself a scowl.

The two heroes (one active, one on leave) were quiet for a while, Wally's hand never ceasing his movement against her tanned leg. His mind wandered back their sixteen-year-old selves, and he thought that it was incredible how much they'd changed. They'd gone from being bickering teammates to bickering boyfriend and girlfriend, to being bickering roommates; soon they would be bickering spouses. They'd changed, evolved.

For one, her long ponytail had been cut off to her shoulders, where it hung in feathery layers that she was constantly spitting out of her mouth; his hair was still red and spiky, but he'd grown it out so it fell in his face and around his ears. Her snarky personality wasn't much different and her wit was still there, but she'd matured over the years; he'd done the same, but the spark of a prankster and mischief-maker was still there. She was still a hero—or at least she tried to be; sometimes she found herself at a crossroads, torn between loyalty and family, always teetering on the edge of good and bad, but she always made her way home. Sometimes broken and beat up, but Wally was good at mending. He had never stopped, though there were times when he wondered if it was worth it.

She sighed, poking him in the shoulder with her toe and pulling him out of his thoughts. He scowled, pushing her foot away, and she smiled.

"How was _your_ day?" he asked, leaning an elbow on the edge of the tub. She groaned long and hard, grimacing. "I don't know why Megan asked me to be in the damn wedding," Artemis begins, and he knows this is going to be one of _those talks_. "I mean, I'm pregnant, so _obviously_ I won't fit into the nice dresses but she's—she's like fucking determined to get me into something that _won't_ make me look like a whale. Which is kind of really impossible since I _am_ a _whale of epic proportions."_

Wally knew that if he laughed, he'd spend the next week on the couch in their living room, so he covered his mouth with his hand, unsuccessfully muffling his giggles. After a few seconds of Artemis glaring at him, her face softened. "Do _you_ think I'm fat?"

Now, _this_ is how she trapped him into telling her who he thought had a nicer rack—her or Wonder Woman. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Nope, he'd learned his lesson after being forced to spend a week sleeping on _Dick's _couch, which wouldn't have been so bad if he was still living in Wayne Manor, but he wasn't, and thus, it had sucked eggs.

"Er—well—you're pregnant…" he mumbled, prepared to dodge anything she could throw at him. Her eyebrows drew together and her eyes started to water. "I _am!"_ She cried out, splashing water everywhere and soaking him; he hated her hormones. "I knew it too! Cassie kept giving me these looks every time she liked a dress today because I couldn't fit in it, and since I'm the damn Maid of Honor I get to pick, and Cassie thinks she'll be stuck in something ugly. And then Kory kept laughing at me every time I'd try something on and I _know_ she wasn't being mean but still! And you only just _proved_ my point!"

She hiccupped, scrubbing at her eyes. He wanted to tell her that she sounded like a speedster with how fast she was talking, but refrained, knowing that he would only make it worse. "Arty, I didn't say you were fat—"

"But you _insinuated_ it!"

"I didn't _mean it_ like that!"

She huffed, flicking a piece of hair off her forehead, and leaned forward, trying to reach the plug. He plucked it out of the tub easily, dropping it on the ledge. Her eyes started to water again and she stood up abruptly. He _really_ hated her hormones.

Sighing, he followed her as she waddled out of the bathroom, thinking to himself_, I'm doomed. There is no way I'll be able to survive this pregnancy._


	97. Laughter

**_~YJ~_**

**097. Laughter**

**Rating: K**

**_~YJ~_**

Robin knew that he was in trouble. He didn't even _try_ to deny it. He screwed up and Bruce was gonna throw a fit...No, not just a fit— Batman was going to go ballistic. Totally and completely ballistic. No, not just ballistic; he was going to go nuclear. Chernobyl would be _nothing _in comparison. They were so beyond screwed. He was going to _im_plode and _ex_plode at the same time.

He turned to look for the reason why the splintery, creaking bench he was sitting on was shaking so much, which just made it creak more.

Wally had both hands over his mouth and was shaking, trying desperately not to start laughing.

"What's so funny?" Robin demanded, a bit peeved that Kaldur wasn't there yet to explain the whole 'undercover' issue to the police officer, who was _still_ looking at them like they're filthy little liars.

"Dude," Wally could no longer contain it and doubled over, clutching his stomach, the laughter bouncing off the walls and around the precinct, "that was _awesome!_"

Dick facepalmed, groaning at his friend's idiocy and immaturity. Then he realized something—it _was _kinda cool that they'd tricked Joker into locking himself into a safe, and it _was _kinda cool that those girls had been flirting with them at the hot dog stand, and it _was _kinda cool that Firefly had nearly blown himself up _twice_... He started chuckling, and soon he was laughing along with Wally, unable to stop.

Dick's laughter—honest, _real _laughter, not that creepy cackle—echoed Wally's, and then the two boys are crying and laughing and gasping for breath, eliciting weird looks from around the holding block as the police officers and the other captives glanced over to see why they were laughing so hard their faces were red and they could barely breathe.

They were still laughing when, fifteen minutes later, Kaldur and a police officer came to unlock the cell, the police officer stumbling over himself to apologize, Kaldur shaking his head and looking like he was praying to Poseidon for patience.


	98. Payback

**_~YJ~_**

**098. Payback**

**Rating: K**

**_~YJ~_**

Wally and Dick giggled uncontrollably as they sat together at the table in the Cave the morning after Roy called and told them that his girlfriend Linda broke up with him over a text. Artemis and M'gann gave them weird looks and Kaldur was shaking his head, curious as to why they both looked sleep-deprived but too wary and experienced to ask. Connor, as usual, was oblivious.

"Okay, okay, call him," Wally urged, pushing his cell at Dick. Dick grabbed it off the table, still laughing, and jabbed the speed dial number for Roy, putting it on speakerphone. M'gann and Artemis's warning bells went off, and they were beginning to retreat out of the kitchen when Roy Harper's voice came out of the speaker.

"Hello?" He sounded tired, like he'd just gotten out of bed.

"Roy, it's us," Dick says, and Roy became immediately alert and _wary_ because Dick was _giggling_ and he could hear Wally _giggling _in the background, and when his little brother's are _giggling, _it's _never _a good sign. "Go by Linda's house, _right now_, okay?"

"Why? You realize it's six in the morning," Roy said before he yawned, long and deep, but Dick can hear him moving around and grabbing something jangly—the keys to his crappy truck.

"Just do it, 'kay? Call us when you get there." Dick hung up and he and Wally resumed giggling hysterically, the phone in between them. The girls' had abandoned trying to hide their interest and were waiting eagerly to discover why the boys were so hyped up. Kaldur was praying to whatever god would listen that his little brothers hadn't done something to land them in jail. Again.

Ten minutes later, the phone rang and Wally snatched it up using his superspeed, turning it on speakerphone again.

"You two…*snort*…are…*snicker*…you're horrible," the archer scolded half-heartedly. But the boys could hear Roy struggling not to laugh. "Batman is gonna kill you, Dickie-bird. TP's considering vandalism."

"Not if it's trees," Dick said innocently, and the two snap closed the phone before Bruce can hear them laughing. Not that that had ever worked, but there's a first time for everything. Maybe they would get lucky for once.

Two minutes later, when a certain Dark Knight appears in the kitchen, looking less than pleased with the two boys, that luck was most certainly _not _on their side.


	99. On The Run

**_~YJ~_**

**099. On The Run**

**Rating: T**

**_~YJ~_**

Wally, Dick, and Kaldur pressed themselves against Artemis's apartment wall, breathing heavily as the sirens and red and white lights passed, throwing light against the far walls of the small living room. Artemis, dressed in pajamas, glared at them, thoroughly pissed at being woken up at one in the morning.

"What did you three idiots _do?_" she demanded quietly so she didn't wake her mother. How on Earth would she explain why three of her _male _teammates were out of breath and in their home in the middle of the night?

"Long story. W—" Wally was cut off when a thunderous pounding shook the whole door.

"POLICE! OPEN UP!"

Dick cursed under his breath. Artemis's jaw went slack and she turned to glare daggers at them. "What the _hell_ do I say to them?" she hissed.

"I don't know—lie!"

"I am a _hero,_ I can't lie to the—"

"POLICE!"

Artemis groaned and threw open the door, furious. "I heard you! Please, my mom's sleeping! Keep it down!" she snapped.

For the next ten minutes, she was asked question after question, until she was trying _very _hard not to drop-kick the officer back out onto the street. No, she didn't see anything suspicious, no, she didn't know what they're talking about, my goodness, how awful. When the police officer finally apologized and left, Artemis shut the door quietly before turning on the three boys furiously.

"_Now,_ what the _hell_ did you three morons _do_ that makes it _okay_ to not only _break into my apartment_, but use my apartment to _hide_ from the _police_ and make me a co-conspirator?" She wasn't even trying to keep it down anymore.

Dick jerked his thumb over at Wally, too tired to fight with her. "Kid Can't-Stop here ran too fast and went right through a jewelry shop's window. Alarms and lights _everywhere._"

Artemis started snickering, her anger dissipating but not forgotten. "God, you're such a dork, Baywatch."

"Shut up!"


	100. Meeting

**_~YJ~_**

**100. Meeting**

**Rating: T**

**_~YJ~_**

"It's _how much _for fifteen hot dogs?"

Wally gaped at the scowling man with the hippie ponytail and the striped hat. Behind him, the rest of the team—minus Robin, who was off doing the Dynamic Duo routine with Batman again—stood around waiting for Wally to "get his hot dogs already, we're _supposed _to be on a mission." All of them were dressed in civvies; it was an undercover assignment, and Batman would be pissed when he found out that Wally had made them stop for his lunch.

The vendor met Wally's eyes steadily, and growled, "Look, kid, no cash, no dogs. That's the deal. Not my problem your stomach is bigger than your wallet."

Recovered from his shock at over-priced mystery meat, Wally exclaimed, "Fifty bucks for a couple hotdogs is highway robbery!"

Of course, watching a Central city teenager argue with a Gotham vendor _was _mighty entertaining.

A high-pitched, sinister-sounding cackle sounded behind the speedster, a laugh they knew well. Almost in unison, the group of teenagers turned to look at the vampire-pale youth standing on the sidewalk. He was grinning at the speedster's predicament, laughing. A girl with bright red hair and piercing eyes stood beside him, glaring at them all for no apparent reason. Both of them were wearing school uniforms that indicated that they were from the Gotham Academy, a school for geniuses and rich kids. Body language, facial expressions, and the spark in their blue eyes suggested they fell in the first category, if not the second as well. There was something distantly familiar about them, like a faded memory that was just out of reach. There was something in the way they held themselves, the obvious link between them. It rang bells in their hands, but they just couldn't connect the dots to make the picture. The puzzle pieces wouldn't match.

The boy shook his head, still giggling. "What do you think, Babs? Should we take pity on the poor guy?"

The girl—Babs—snorted. "I'd say no, Dick. He got himself into this, he can get himself out."

The vendor nodded at the two. "Hey, Richard, Barbara. The usual?"

It was like Wally was suddenly completely invisible; the vendor had become bored with the whiny, argumentative tourist, and was now more interested in his regular customers who always gave good tips.

Barbara nodded. "Yes, please, Mr. D." While he prepared their dogs, she let her gaze wander over to the rag-tag group of teenagers.

Artemis and Connor were both in jeans, T-shirts, and jackets; Kaldur wore a jacket that covered his gills over his uniform and, much to his displeasure, sneakers; Wally wore his usual civvies; and at Artemis's advisement, Megan was wearing pink jeans instead of her usual skirt. They certainly made a strange bunch; anyone could see that. Megan stayed close to Connor, close enough that if anyone shady got any ideas, he could quickly squish them; their intentions, that is—not the person. Artemis was posing as Kaldur's girlfriend, and thus remained close to him with either his arm around her waist or her hand in his; she was secretly hoping that if anyone she knew saw her with him, they would either dismiss her as a look-alike or choose not to approach her. And Wally just seemed out of place, the odd man out and the oddball in the group.

Her eyes lingered on Kaldur a moment longer than the others before she switched her attention to Artemis. Barbara nodded in recognition. "Hey, I know you. You go to Gotham Academy; Artemis, right?"

Artemis nodded slowly, looking uncomfortable; the looks she was getting from Wally and Kaldur told her that she would have some explaining to do later, like why a girl supposedly from Star City was a student at an elite Gotham school?

When the vendor was finished making their food, Dick pulled out a wad of bills and handed it to "Mr. D." He motioned towards Wally with his head.

"That should cover ours and his. I'll take pity on the poor guy; he looks hungry. Keep the change."

Mr. D shrugged halfheartedly. "Eh, it's your money. I'd let the kid starve personally, but that's just me."

After he piled his meat tubes on a plastic tray and smothered them in condiments, Wally turned to the schoolboy and grinned.

"Thanks man. Fifty bucks for some hot dogs is insane. What's your name, so I can pay you back?"

Dick shook his head, smirking.

"You are so _obviously _a tourist," he said, obviously trying not to laugh at the redhead's enthusiasm. "If you were a Gotham native, you would know my name. I'm Richard Grayson, call me Dick or there'll be hell to pay." He motioned to the girl. "This is Barbara Gordon. I call her Babs; she hates it, so of course I keep doing it. She's a pain in the ass, but she's my best friend, so I tolerate her."

Babs rolled her eyes and jabbed him in the side with her elbow sharply. He sucked in a breath and winced. "Ow! Oh c'mon, Babs, I was just joking." He paused in mock consideration before adding, "Mostly."

She snorted, turned on the heel of her expensive-looking patent leather loafers, and started to walk away briskly. "You coming, Dick?" she called over her shoulder.

It was at this moment that the sun hit the glass windows of the building across the street, the bright and sudden reflection hitting Dick right in the eyes. Dick winced and lifted a hand to block the light. His other hand fished in his backpack pocket for a moment before he brought out a pair of familiar designer sunglasses and slid them on. That clicking sound? Yeah, that would be the puzzle pieces falling into place.

There was relative silence for what felt like an eternity but what wasn't more than ten or fifteen seconds, until Kaldur broke the silence.

"…Robin?"

Further down the street, Barbara was standing next to an elderly man in a suit in front of an antique Bentley.

"Dick!" she shouted, waving for him to go to her. Dick held up a finger, telling her to wait. She fell silent, crossing her arms over her chest stubbornly.

He turned back to them and smiled ruefully.

"Babs is callin'. I'd better get going before she comes over and gets me herself; it'll be less painful this way. She sure can sling a mean punch when she wants to." He turned and started walking. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled, though it could easily be a smirk. "It was nice meeting all of you. Look me up sometime, yeah?"

With that and a jaunty little wave, he left them standing there on the sidewalk outside a Radio Shack in Gotham City, next to Mr. D the Hot-Dog Vendor humming "Lime in the Coconut" at his cart.

**_~YJ~_**

**And with this, I oh-so-proudly declare, at the top of my lungs: I HAVE BEATEN THE 100 THEMES CHALLENGE! This marks drabble 100 in the _Truth, Justice, and Pizza_ series. I started back in July of this year and now, five months later, I have finished. Is it wrong that I feel incredibly accomplished?**

**Seriously, I can't thank you enough, everyone who has stuck around to the end (bonus points to those who actually _read _my author's notes), and colossal thanks to everyone who reviewed. You guys were so great, and this has really been fun. I'm sorry if there was something you wanted me to write but I didn't, and I apologize to anyone who reviewed and I didn't respond. I make a habit of always replying to those kind enough to gift me with a review, but sometimes, I don't have the time or I make a mental note to reply later and I forget. Forgive me, please!**

**As always, review and tell me what you think—about this chapter and the entire story. I really enjoyed doing this, and I managed to stick with it, even if it took me a while to finish drabbles and upload them.**

**Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who reviewed and favorited this story: ReginaCaelum, shipperlover44, Jedi Ani Unduli, MyRealNameIsHiding, KTrevo, Aka Wouka, SONGUE, cuzimaw3som317, AmaraRae, skatingandcruzing, Nightshade, prettykitty374, argent98, Dcatbob, ThePaintedVeil, Unleash The Shadow, Dark Inu Fan, Juliana Santos, Mastah'o'awesome, speedylove, Flying Jay, just-the-hands, newdog14, Keepmoveingforward2, Nerdy-self99, Scotty1609, ChibiRox, KF-AxxMexx, Lavatiger, Momorulz, Sylviechic, DaydreamingPhantom, xXDemonic-AngelicXx, Black Licorice Addict, MidnightRoulette, fanofdeliciousflavor522, samcheese1, GrayAreas, Selena Oceana, KrC, DC-JellyBean's, Phoenix'sSoul, Sincerely Seven, bleedingsunshine, sakuracherish814, darkryubaby, Babsy Delight, titansfan1211, and especially Illucida.**

**…yes, I actually listed _everyone _who reviewed this story, even if it was only once. If I left you out, please, please, PLEASE tell me, and I will quickly fix that! Also, looking back at the reviews I've received, I am so thankful for all the support!**

**Merry Christmas and a happy New Years, everyone!**

**~Nagi Kokuyo**

**12/29/2011 – 11:53 PM**


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